Every day, Pouly Baby wakes up at 3 a.m. to dish out an impressive breakfast fare. This goes to the tea shack she runs in front of her house in Mattoor airport road in Ernakulam.
Here she stays put till 7 a.m., selling tea and breakfast to passersby and regulars. After 7 a.m., her schedule takes on a different tone, as she rushes to visit houses in the ward, campaigning for votes. Ms. Baby is the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the local body elections, contesting from ward number 18, Thalassery, in Kalady grama panchayat.
Just tea, no politics
Even as the date of the elections inches closer and her schedule becomes packed, Ms. Baby is not thinking of closing the shop. She has one rule though, she wouldn’t campaign among those who visit her shop. “It is not fair, as they would be having different political affiliations and it is not nice to ask,” says Ms. Baby, who is contesting against Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Jolly Sijo and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mini Mani.
Like Ms. Baby, there are many candidates across Kerala who continue to juggle a busy, hectic and varied schedule while electioneering. This motley crew of candidates campaign diligently ever as they run tea shops, distribute newspapers, catch snakes, or deliver packages.
Door-to-door
At 24, Sruthi M. has her hands full — a three-year-old baby, work as a delivery person, and candidature in the local body elections. Contesting in South Bazar division 47 in the Kannur Corporation as a BJP candidate, Ms. Sruthi’s name went viral after BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar shared a social media post about her. Ms. Sruthi who formerly worked at the Kannur District Hospital has been working as a delivery person at an e-commerce platform. “Now I take on fewer consignments so that I can campaign and meet people. I am getting good response from the public and they are all yearning for a change,” says Ms. Sruthi who is contesting against LDF candidate Beena E. and the UDF’s Roshna Ashraf.
Sreedevi Jayaraj, 48, confidently says that she reads all newspapers in the morning itself and that she is in touch with ground realities. And how could she not, when her days starts with distributing newspapers to more than 100-odd houses in her ward. Ms. Jayaraj who is the BJP candidate in ward number 12, Kilikulam in Mazhuvannoor grama panchayat, Ernakulam, says she has been delivering newspapers for the past 10 years. “On my way back after distributing newspapers, I talk to the people and campaign. I visit only 20 houses a day,” says Ms. Jayaraj, who is also the BJP Mandalam secretary. She is contesting against LDF candidate Deepa Manoj and UDF candidate Shalini Thulasi.
Snake comes first
While other candidates are busy electioneering without letting their work get in the way, 65-year-old Veerankutty K.V. has to excuse himself whilst campaigning so he can rescue snakes that end up at the houses in his ward. Recently, amid campaigning, he had to rush to rescue a Russell’s viper from a house. “I went to the spot, rescued the snake, took it home and kept it safe. Then I resumed campaigning,” says Mr. Veerankutty who is a licensed snake rescuer and contesting from ward number 12 in Punnayoor grama panchayat in Thrissur. Mr. Veerankutty is contesting against LDF candidate Ranjini and Social Democratic Party of India candidate Akbar T.M.
Published – December 06, 2025 07:49 pm IST
