Kottayam

As Kerala gears up for the April 9 Assembly elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded a father-son duo in two key constituencies in Kottayam district, both having a significant Christian voter base.

Veteran leader P C George and his son Shone George have been nominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to contest from Poonjar and Pala constituencies, respectively.

P.C. George, a seven-time MLA and a prominent political figure in Poonjar, currently serves as a national council member of the BJP. He has represented the constituency multiple times over the decades and even won as an independent candidate in the 2016 Assembly elections, defeating candidates from major fronts. Known for his outspoken nature, he had earlier floated the Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) party before aligning with various Kerala Congress factions.

His party later merged with the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Shone George, who is a state vice president of the BJP and a former district panchayat member, said contesting from two constituencies within the same family was not their initial preference. However, he noted that the party leadership persuaded them to take up the challenge.

He emphasised that the elections were about the party rather than individuals, adding that the BJP would manage the campaign efforts.

In Pala, Shone George is up against Jose K Mani of the Left Democratic Front and sitting MLA Mani C Kappan of the United Democratic Front.

Dismissing the idea of a triangular contest, Shone George claimed that the real fight in the constituency is between the NDA and the incumbent MLA, asserting that the LDF candidate would have little impact.

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He further expressed confidence that the BJP-NDA has strengthened its presence in Pala and predicted a significant improvement in its performance in the constituency.