<p>Pathanamthitta: Even as women's entry in the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and the gold heist still remain burning issues, unlike earlier elections, the political parties — especially the BJP and the Congress — are not playing it up even in the Hindu pockets of the district like the Aaranmula constituency that comprises of Pathanamthitta town.</p><p>Neither BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan, nor Congress candidate Abin Varkey could be heard highlighting Sabarimala issues during their campaigns. Instead, the focus is on development.</p><p>While CPI(M) candidate, sitting MLA and state health minister Veena George is trying to highlight various development initiatives by her, an under constriction fly-over in the heart of Pathanamthitta and a bridge that had to be closed after its inauguration just ahead of the election declaration, remain as a hurdle in her attempt for a hat-trick victory.</p><p>Resentment within the party against her, which even came out in the open earlier, as well as criticisms against the state health sector are too making it difficult for Veena.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Vijayan rejects Satheesan’s claim on RSS backing, accuses Congress of ‘ties’ with Sangh.<p>The setback suffered by BJP in the recent local body polls in adjacent Pandalam, which is believed to be the place where lord Ayyappa spent his childhood, could be the reason why BJP and Congress are not highlighting the Sabarimala issue. </p><p>"You should be campaigning that it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is contesting here as my mission is to implement Modi's development visions," Kummanam tells party workers during the campaign. </p><p>BJP's coalition partner Twenty20 party's Thomas K Samuel, who is seeking mandate from Ranni where the Sabarimala temple is located, too preferred to maintain that the Sabarimala issues may not be a major topic and development would be the priority. But he had to later retract his remarks for obvious political reasons.</p><p>"People are more concerned about issues directly concerning their lives. Moreover, Sabarimala is no longer a fresh issue. Hence making political benefits from it seems to be no more possible, unless any major development happens just ahead of the polls," said Vinod Kumar, a local resident of Kumbazha near Pathanamthitta.</p><p>Some BJP local leaders of the Hindu pockets too admit that it is a major task for the BJP to win in the Christian dominated regions of Pathanamthitta. "A large chunk of voters here are abroad for study or job," a BJP local leader pointed out.</p><p>While Veena's earlier victories in the constituency were often credited to the Christian vote banks, young Congress leader Varkey could now eat into the Christian vote banks. Varkey, who was in the forefront in stirs against the government, may also get the advantage of the anti-incumbency factor against the left-front government.</p>
<p>Pathanamthitta: Even as women's entry in the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and the gold heist still remain burning issues, unlike earlier elections, the political parties — especially the BJP and the Congress — are not playing it up even in the Hindu pockets of the district like the Aaranmula constituency that comprises of Pathanamthitta town.</p><p>Neither BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan, nor Congress candidate Abin Varkey could be heard highlighting Sabarimala issues during their campaigns. Instead, the focus is on development.</p><p>While CPI(M) candidate, sitting MLA and state health minister Veena George is trying to highlight various development initiatives by her, an under constriction fly-over in the heart of Pathanamthitta and a bridge that had to be closed after its inauguration just ahead of the election declaration, remain as a hurdle in her attempt for a hat-trick victory.</p><p>Resentment within the party against her, which even came out in the open earlier, as well as criticisms against the state health sector are too making it difficult for Veena.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Vijayan rejects Satheesan’s claim on RSS backing, accuses Congress of ‘ties’ with Sangh.<p>The setback suffered by BJP in the recent local body polls in adjacent Pandalam, which is believed to be the place where lord Ayyappa spent his childhood, could be the reason why BJP and Congress are not highlighting the Sabarimala issue. </p><p>"You should be campaigning that it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is contesting here as my mission is to implement Modi's development visions," Kummanam tells party workers during the campaign. </p><p>BJP's coalition partner Twenty20 party's Thomas K Samuel, who is seeking mandate from Ranni where the Sabarimala temple is located, too preferred to maintain that the Sabarimala issues may not be a major topic and development would be the priority. But he had to later retract his remarks for obvious political reasons.</p><p>"People are more concerned about issues directly concerning their lives. Moreover, Sabarimala is no longer a fresh issue. Hence making political benefits from it seems to be no more possible, unless any major development happens just ahead of the polls," said Vinod Kumar, a local resident of Kumbazha near Pathanamthitta.</p><p>Some BJP local leaders of the Hindu pockets too admit that it is a major task for the BJP to win in the Christian dominated regions of Pathanamthitta. "A large chunk of voters here are abroad for study or job," a BJP local leader pointed out.</p><p>While Veena's earlier victories in the constituency were often credited to the Christian vote banks, young Congress leader Varkey could now eat into the Christian vote banks. Varkey, who was in the forefront in stirs against the government, may also get the advantage of the anti-incumbency factor against the left-front government.</p>