Saddam Hussein, a by-poll issue in Kerala?

The death sentence awarded to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein might be an issue raked up by rival fronts in the assembly by-elections in Thiruvambady constituency in Kerala.

The by-poll, to be held Dec 4, has been necessitated after Mathai Chacko, the sitting legislator from Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district, passed away last month.

Chacko, who belonged to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), wrested the seat in the May 2006 assembly polls from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) for the first time since the constituency was formed in 1977.

The Thiruvambady constituency has a sizeable Muslim population and since 1991, this seat has been contested by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) - the second biggest ally of the UDF.

Leader of opposition Oommen Chandy told IANS: "For CPI-M, ideology is secondary and their primary concern is the vote bank. During the last assembly polls, they played up the Iran issue. Today Iran has also strongly supported the execution of Saddam."

The CPI-M had earlier asked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre to "actively intervene to get this sentence rescinded".

"The Communist Party in China and Iraq have also welcomed the verdict but here, they are playing vote bank politics," said Chandy.

Vaikom Viswam, convenor of the CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF), said the party would take up the Saddam issue only if it was actually raked up during the polls.

"Look, everything depends on what would be the issues that come up as the campaign builds up," said Viswam.

Two-time legislator from Thiruvambady C. Moyinkutty of IUML, who is tipped to be a candidate this time as well, said it was unlikely that Saddam Hussein would be an issue.

"Since agriculture is the mainstay in this constituency, it should be the failure of the V.S. Achuthanandan government that should be the key election issue. With regards to the Saddam issue, the double standards of the CPI-M stands exposed," said Moyinkutty.

IANS