Thiruvananthapuram, March 27 (IANS) As Kerala heads to the Assembly polls on April 9, with counting slated for May 4, the electoral calendar has acquired a poignant political symbolism, one that could shape the fortunes of two key contestants in sharply different ways.

April 9 marks the death anniversary of Kerala Congress-Mani's leader K. M. Mani, one of modern Kerala’s tallest leaders who represented Pala from 1967 until his passing in 2019.

For his son, Jose K. Mani, the date is more than symbolic; it is a test of political survival.

Since shifting the Kerala Congress-Mani from the Congress-led United Democratic Front to the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front, Jose’s electoral journey has been turbulent.

He lost the 2021 Assembly election in Pala to long-time rival Mani C. Kappen, followed by setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the 2025 local body elections.

Now, in a dramatic reprise, Jose is once again facing Kappen in Pala, this time on his father’s death anniversary.

The Mani family is banking on a long-elusive sympathy wave.

In a carefully choreographed gesture, the family will visit Mani’s grave before casting their votes, hoping emotion will succeed where strategy has faltered.

If April 9 is about legacy, May 4 carries the weight of memory and justice for K. K. Rema.

The counting day coincides with the 14th death anniversary of her husband T. P. Chandrasekharan, whose brutal murder -- he was hacked 51 times -- remains one of Kerala’s most chilling political crimes.

A former CPI-M leader who broke away to form the Revolutionary Marxist Party, Chandrasekharan’s killing had deep political repercussions.

Rema, who entered electoral politics later, won from Badagara in 2021 with UDF backing and emerged as a fierce critic of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

This election, she has been among the earliest campaigners, drawing energy from shifting political currents, including dissent within CPI-M ranks.

This time, there are three popular former CPI-M legislators and two veteran CPI-M leaders contesting against CPI-M candidates.

"The real Communist cannot align with the present leadership," Rema has said, sensing an undercurrent of rebellion.

As voters queue up on April 9 and verdicts emerge on May 4, Kerala’s election will unfold not just as a contest for power, but as an emotionally charged reckoning, where legacy, loss and political resilience intersect.

--IANS

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