Anil Antony, son of senior Congress leader AK Antony, contesting as a BJP candidate from the Pathanamthitta parliamentary constituency in Kerala, is quite optimistic, riding on the plank of economic development espoused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He is effusive in his admiration for Narendra Modi and dismissive of campaigning taken up by his father as well as by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s family, for his opponent and UDF candidate Anto Antony.
“My father has his own political beliefs. But my political campaign was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to the constituency much before the election announcement. This itself will give a boost to the BJP to get the votes,” Antony said.
He says people are looking for a change, and cites the precarious financial condition of Kerala. “People here have the political wisdom to choose and vote for the right candidate,’’ he added.
There is very little happening in Pathanamthitta, one of the oldest districts in Kerala, which has a lot of potential for development, Antony said. Lack of basic infrastructure is hindering the transformation of the constituency into a cultural and religious hub and abode of well-known places of worship such as Sabarimala for Hindus and Maramon and Parumala for Christians.
There are various other issues to be sorted out in the constituency, where a large number of people are in the age group of 40-50. Farmers striving to get a remunerative price for their produce and aged parents of expatriates who need proper geriatric care are some. The absence of large IT parks has come in the way of the IT development of the district, and the youth have instead chosen to migrate to different places for jobs, he said.
He blamed the sitting MP’s inaction for the poor economic development of the district and accused political opponents for their calculated move to polarise society by disseminating false messages in the name of religion. “We don’t differentiate between religion and communities. We want to transform this place for overall economic development based on the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047,’’ he averred.
Having completed one month in the election campaign, he said the feedback he received is that people really look for a change. “I have interacted with all sections of society and I believe we will gain an advantage by tapping into their aspirations. I am very optimistic,” he said.
Besides Congress’ Anto Antony, Thomas Issac from the Left Democratic Front, a many-time State Finance Minister, is contesting against Antony. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Anto Antony won the seat against Veena George of CPI (M) by a margin of over 40,000 votes.