KASARAGOD: Chembakkad Narayanan -- an unassuming farmer for residents of Bedadka panchayat -- filed his nomination papers on Wednesday and is all set to begin his campaigning. But Narayanan 'maaman' has already become a celebrity candidate, perhaps across the state.
He was catapulted to stardom when four days ago the youths of Bedadka panchayat released an election poster on social media. The poster captures Narayanan, perched on the bonnet of a Mahindra jeep, and darting a mean look that will eclipse Prithviraj in 'Kaduva'.
The poster introduced Chembakkad Narayanan in the same tiger print font used in the first-look poster of 'Kaduva'. "I didn't realise it would be such a big draw when I sat on the jeep. I even got calls from the AKG Centre," he said, not holding back his joy. "Now when I visit houses to seek votes, I feel they already know me," he said.
Narayanan is the CPM candidate in ward no. 3 (Chembakkad) in Bedaka panchayat, where 16 of the 17 wards are controlled by the LDF. Narayanan's 'Kaduva' poster was just a teaser to draw attention to all the 17 candidates of the LDF, said C Ramachandran, the president of the outgoing panchayat board.
"We knew this time electioneering would be difficult because of the COVID restrictions. But we want to make the election engaging and introduce our candidates in a way that will leave a lasting impression on the voters," said Ramachandran, who is also an advocate, poet, and short-story writer.
The LDF's Bedadka leadership formed a Youth Coordination Committee and left the task to youths.
And they came up with some brilliant posters celebrating the bucolic life and the panchayat and the candidates: be it P Gopalan enjoying the morning tea in a 'chayakada', or K Ramani rolling beedis in Dinesh Bidi factory; or Vasanthakumari jogging on the Payaswini river bank; or Latha Gopi enjoying banter with a betel-pestling granny by the roadside.
All the posters use the grammar of movie posters. "We did not want to do the routine folded hands posters or the 'revolutionary' closed fist posters seeking votes," said Vipin Churikode, the photographer behind the posters.
He is all of 20 years and completed a course in accountancy but picked up the camera to pursue his passion. Except for the first poster, he and his team have tried to celebrate the everyday life of ordinary people who are real-life heroes," said Vipin Churikode, the photographer behind the posters.
46-year-old Vasantha Kumari, captured in a tracksuit, has represented India in the Asia Masters Athletic Championship in Kuala Lumpur and won a bronze medal last year. She is also an anganwadi worker. H Shankaran, contesting from ward 10 (Pullikod), is a sculptor and he is seen giving final touches to his art pieces.
K Ramani, seeing rolling beedis, has raised her family rolling beedi for 35 years. D Valsala at the sewing machine helped start an apparel making unit at Kundamkuzhy. 29-year-old Dhanya M, one of the three panchayat members contesting again, said the posters have helped increase the visibility of the candidates.
She said the participation of the youths in making the posters was "returning the love" they got from the panchayat board in the past five years. "Bedadka is one of the best performing panchayats in the state. But this time, we made a conscious effort to work for the youths of the panchayat," she said.
The panchayat worked closely with the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development at Sriperumbudur and drafted a policy for youths.
As part of the policy, the panchayat set up coaching academies for football, cricket, badminton, and tug of war. It also started an open gym and programmes to encourage farming among youth. To be sure, Bedadka today is a zero-fallow land panchayat.
Seeing the success of the posters, Ramachandran said, several other panchayats have also started bringing out similar posters. "But we have not roped in any professional agencies. Our village youths did it for us," he said.