Kelrala elections: Rehab rows spark heated poll fight
The assembly election in Kalpetta is unfolding under the shadow of Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide that claimed 298 lives and nearly wiped out the villages 20 months ago. Once framed as a testament to Kerala’s unity, rehabilitation has become a bitter political issue in the poll campaign. Congress MLA T Siddique is contesting against RJD’s PK Anil Kumar and BJP district president Prashanth Malavayal.
The road to the under-construction township has towering billboards of CM Pinarayi Vijayan, captioned: ‘Who else but LDF can honour the word given to landslide survivors.’ On March 1, just ahead of elections, 178 houses were inaugurated under Phase I. But the site still looks like a construction zone—roads, power lines and sewage works unfinished.
For survivors like Mariyama and Madaswamy (71), now living in temporary quarters at Munderi, the wait goes on. On their third visit since inauguration, they found electrical and plumbing work still incomplete. “We have the plot and house documents,” said Madaswamy. “We just want to move in before the rains.”
Rehabilitation projects announced by Congress, IUML and others have become both symbols of hope and points of conflict. LDF presents it as proof of delivery, attacking Congress for failing to build homes. UDF calls it hurried optics, pointing to incomplete infrastructure and exclusions from the beneficiary list.
Shaijal Kaippa, a Thurki resident and RJD sympathiser, backs the LDF narrative. “Keeping this promise could be decisive. Congress has not even begun its housing project. The biggest blunder was launching a separate scheme that hasn’t started—they should have given the money to the govt’s fund,” he said.
Others see it differently. K Vasu, a lottery seller who moved his business to the township site—where hundreds arrive daily, says: “Peoplecome in large numbers, but what is the point of an inauguration if families can’t move in?” Siddique led rescue efforts when the disaster struck, he adds.
Mundakkai native Muthan and his wife Jayanna, staying at temporary accommodation in Karapuzha, are not on the rehabilitation list. “My wife worked at Harrisons Malayalam estate and our padi was damaged. She can’t travel 35km to work. Many others, including from Padavettikunnu, face the same exclusion,” he said.
Traditionally, Kalpetta leans towards UDF. Siddique held the seat in 2021 with a margin of over 4,000 votes despite a statewide LDF wave. Recent local body results reinforce that edge—though LDF captured Kalpetta municipality, Muttil and Muppainad panchayats, UDF won 8 of the 10 panchayats. Of the 173 grama panchayat wards, UDF (including independents) won 107, LDF 61, and NDA three.
UDF’s campaign focuses on Siddique’s record, especially during the landslide. Campaign material features MP Priyanka Gandhi alongside him. UDF also highlights poor infrastructure at Wayanad medical college, ghat road travel hardships and rising man-animal conflicts. LDF counters with a governance narrative. It highlights rehab steps and attacks Congress for delays in its housing project.
NDA remains a peripheral but vocal player, framing the contest as a rejection of both fronts while invoking PM Narendra Modi’s development agenda. As polling day nears, Kalpetta shows an electoral landscape where grief, rehabilitation and political narratives intersect.
The road to the under-construction township has towering billboards of CM Pinarayi Vijayan, captioned: ‘Who else but LDF can honour the word given to landslide survivors.’ On March 1, just ahead of elections, 178 houses were inaugurated under Phase I. But the site still looks like a construction zone—roads, power lines and sewage works unfinished.
For survivors like Mariyama and Madaswamy (71), now living in temporary quarters at Munderi, the wait goes on. On their third visit since inauguration, they found electrical and plumbing work still incomplete. “We have the plot and house documents,” said Madaswamy. “We just want to move in before the rains.”
Rehabilitation projects announced by Congress, IUML and others have become both symbols of hope and points of conflict. LDF presents it as proof of delivery, attacking Congress for failing to build homes. UDF calls it hurried optics, pointing to incomplete infrastructure and exclusions from the beneficiary list.
Shaijal Kaippa, a Thurki resident and RJD sympathiser, backs the LDF narrative. “Keeping this promise could be decisive. Congress has not even begun its housing project. The biggest blunder was launching a separate scheme that hasn’t started—they should have given the money to the govt’s fund,” he said.
Others see it differently. K Vasu, a lottery seller who moved his business to the township site—where hundreds arrive daily, says: “Peoplecome in large numbers, but what is the point of an inauguration if families can’t move in?” Siddique led rescue efforts when the disaster struck, he adds.
Mundakkai native Muthan and his wife Jayanna, staying at temporary accommodation in Karapuzha, are not on the rehabilitation list. “My wife worked at Harrisons Malayalam estate and our padi was damaged. She can’t travel 35km to work. Many others, including from Padavettikunnu, face the same exclusion,” he said.
Traditionally, Kalpetta leans towards UDF. Siddique held the seat in 2021 with a margin of over 4,000 votes despite a statewide LDF wave. Recent local body results reinforce that edge—though LDF captured Kalpetta municipality, Muttil and Muppainad panchayats, UDF won 8 of the 10 panchayats. Of the 173 grama panchayat wards, UDF (including independents) won 107, LDF 61, and NDA three.
UDF’s campaign focuses on Siddique’s record, especially during the landslide. Campaign material features MP Priyanka Gandhi alongside him. UDF also highlights poor infrastructure at Wayanad medical college, ghat road travel hardships and rising man-animal conflicts. LDF counters with a governance narrative. It highlights rehab steps and attacks Congress for delays in its housing project.
NDA remains a peripheral but vocal player, framing the contest as a rejection of both fronts while invoking PM Narendra Modi’s development agenda. As polling day nears, Kalpetta shows an electoral landscape where grief, rehabilitation and political narratives intersect.
Next Story