Kerala elections see wave of film stars, influencers in the fray

From Ramesh Pisharody in Palakkad to Sudheer Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram to Anjali Nair in Tripunithura, many actors and others associated with movies are contesting state elections, according to V Ayyappan's Times of India report. Reality show stars and social media influencers too are in the fray.

Kerala is not known to favour celluloid stars as public representatives, but parties --mainly BJP and its ally Twenty20 --have confidently fielded many of them this time, not just for star value but political stand too.

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Most famous among them is Ganesh Kumar, who is eyeing a sixth term from Pathanapuram. He has been in full-time politics for years and his performance as transport minister too is expected to boost his chances. LDF has fielded the late Karamana Janardhananan Nair’s son Sudheer in Thiruvananthapuram banking on his fame as well as political background.

Other notables are actorproducer Major Ravi (Ottappalam), reality show fame Akhil Marar (Thrikkakara) and Robin Radhakrishnan (Kundara), playback singer Daleema Jojo (Aroor), actor Jibi Abraham (Piravom), social media influencer Promy Kuriakose (Angamaly) and poet-scriptwriter Alankode Leelakrishnan (Thrissur).

Candidates like Pisharody and Anjali Nair draw a reasonable crowd and adoration wherever they go better than an average politician. The parties fielding these candidates feel their fame will tilt youngsters’ votes in their favour.

Congress’s social media coordinator P M Niyas said fielding actors is useful. “We expect people to vote for celebrities.”

Writer and historian M G Sasibhooshan said that with hardly any time for campaigning, the focus in this election is to win at any cost. “The parties wanted ‘familiar’ candidates which is the reason for fielding actors, TV serial actors and influencers,” he said.

The parties are also not checking these candidates’ past, he added. “We’ll have to wait for the results to see how people have responded to this.”

In the past, parties used polls as an opportunity to honour and reward people who did groundwork and made sacrifices, he added. “Now it’s all playing out in social media and TV channels,” said heritage enthusiast Rajasekharan Nair.

Politically aware people and party workers feel that fielding actors with no experience in party work may reduce winnability. There is also a criticism that such candidates may help swing seats in hardcore politicians’ favour.

Starting from director Ramu Kariat to actor Suresh Gopi, people from the movie world entering the poll fray is not new for Kerala. But superstars always stayed away from contesting, though Prem Nazir campaigne for Congress. People focused more on politics than on fame back then. That trend seems to be changing.

(With TOI inputs)