Satheesan's main rival is CPI's Tyson Master, who is a sitting MLA from Kaipamangalam. The candidature of Tyson will ensure that there is no walkover for Satheesan, who has been winning from the constituency since 2011.

In 2021, Satheesan won with a margin of 21301 votes. He polled 82, 264 votes with a vote share of 51.87%. He defeated CPI-M candidate MT Nixon, who polled 60963 votes with a vote share of 38.44%. BDJS candidate AB Jayaprakash stood third with 12964 votes (8.17%)

In the 2016 Kerala Assembly Elections, Satheesan won with a margin of 20634 votes, polling 74985 votes with a vote share of 46.70%. CPI candidate Sarada Mohan got 54351 votes (33.85%). BDJS candidate Hari Vijayan stood third with 28097 votes (17.50%).

Although the Congress is exuding optimism, the sailing is not going to be smooth for the Leader of the Opposition. The CPI candidate is no stranger to Paravur. He is a popular figure in the constituency. He was a member of the Thrissur district panchayat. He also served as a member of the Edavilangu panchayat in Paravur. Tyson Master also spearheaded the literacy movement in Kodungallur. He also worked as a teacher in various schools under the Kottappuram corporate educational agency. In other words, he needs no Introduction to the voters of Paravur. The fact of the matter is Satheesan has his task cut out. He will have to spend more time in the constituency this time unlike the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections which he won comfortably.

Tyson is seeking popular mandate on the strength of the unprecedented development the State witnessed during the last 10 years of Left Democratic Front(LDF) Government under the dynamic leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan. Conversely, Paravur has not seen any development worth mentioning. That is a weak point of Satheesan. And the CPI candidate is cashing in on this factor with telling effect. His campaign has slipped into the top gear.

There are indications that Satheesan will have to work hard to retain the constituency. The political situation has undergone a sea-change. The campaign of misinformation unleashed by the Congress leaders including Satheesan has failed to create any appreciable impact on the voters of Paravur.

The LOP has also suffered a severe setback with allegations over the relief funds Congress collected for the housing project for the landslide-hit residents of Wayanad flying thick and fast. The issue has become the major talking point with only a day left for the crucial assembly elections.

On its part, the CPI(M) has sought the details of the funds collected by the Congress and its utilisation. KPCC president Sunny Joseph made an unsuccessful attempt to explain the matter. But his press conference has only reinforced suspicions of misuse of the funds and deepened the Congress's troubles.

It all began when a Congress spokesperson demanded, during a TV debate, details of the funds collected by the CPI(M) for the Wayanad victims. The CPI(M) released the fund collection details within half an hour, putting the Congress on the defensive.

The KPCC president's explanation that only an amount of over five crore was collected by the party has failed to convince the people. The general perception is that the Congress had collected close to Rs 150 crore. Sunny Joseph's claim that the party has spent the funds for the purchase of land, related activities and development of an application for fund mobilisation has only complicated matters for the Congress. That was bad enough. Worse was Joseph's contention that the party will have to find new resources for the construction of the promised houses! The unconvincing explanations have only given more ammunition to the LDF, which is exploiting the issue to the hilt.

No wonder, CPI(M) State Secretariat member M. Swaraj termed it the "biggest loot" by a political party under the pretext of a rehabilitation mission. This is not the first time, Swaraj said, the Congress has looted money it reportedly raised for the victims of natural disasters. It siphoned off the funds collected from the people to support the flood-hit people of Kerala in the past. The party had then promised to build 1,000 houses for the affected people. Not even one house was built by the party, Swaraj pointed out.

Even LOP Satheesan is finding it extremely hard to explain the matter. Whenever presspersons ask him questions about the fund collection, Satheesan either loses his temper or avoid giving any reply. Which shows that there is something fishy about it all.

The BJP has fielded Valsala Prasannakumar, who left Congress and joined the BJP. A former chief of Paravur municipality for two terms, Valsala was also the general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) before she left the Congress in protest against the raw deal the party meted out to her. She is pinning her hopes on the votes of disgruntled Congress workers besides the BJP votes. (IPA Service)

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