Seasoned politician Chacko and Malayalam actor Innocent battle it out in Chalakudy

Kochi: It is likely to be a cakewalk for senior Congress politician P C Chacko in the April 10 polls from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency, where he is pitted against Malayalam film actor Innocent, the CPI(M) Independent candidate.However, leaving nothing to chance, Chacko is on a hectic campaign trail.Chacko had represented Thrissur in the previous Lok Sabha and was adamant about switching his constituency. The Congress high command, which was reportedly not too happy, had reluctantly agreed to his plea, following which the sitting MP from Chalakudy was shifted to Thrissur.“Block conventions are over and booth conventions are going on,” Chacko, who had recently courted controversy by stating that Congress prospects were not very bright, said. However, later he claimed he was misquoted by the media.“There are no two opinions about the Congress-led UPA's comeback. I had said there will be a third UPA, but there will be no single majority', Chacko told PTI when pointed out that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had rejected the view that Congress was an ‘underdog' or that it faced an ‘uphill' task in the Lok Sabha polls.Confident of a Congress win, Chacko said demoralisationis rampant in the CPI(M) camp as the Left party had in a ‘dictatorial manner' foisted five Independent candidates who have nothing to do with the Left movement. “Discontentment is rampant in the rank and file of CPI(M)and it will have repercussions not only in the coming elections, but in the long run as well,” he said.Chacko, who was chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee which probed the 2G spectrum scam, had represented Piravom in the assembly in 1980 and was a minister in the E K Nayanar ministry.Unlike film actors and stars coming out victorious in elections in other states, the Kerala electorate is very conservative.Malayalam cinema's evergreen hero late Prem Nazir, who had joined Congress, could not make a mark in politics. Another actor Murali had in 1999 unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from Alapuzha as the CPI(M) candidate. However, Innocent, who has essayed various roles in 600-odd films, and is President of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for the past 13 years, is confident of giving a good fight to his rival.Innocent said he had never tried for a ticket from the Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) and refuted reports in this regard. Kerala Congress(B) leader R Balakrishnan Pilla had alleged that the actor had approached him for a seat. The BJP candidate in the constituency is advocate B Gopalakrishnan.