The votes secured by Independent candidate Sumin S. Nedungadan, backed by a section of farmers’ organisations, have triggered a debate among upland farmers over the electoral impact of their prolonged protest campaigns during the Assembly elections in Elathur constituency.

Mr. Nedungadan, general secretary of the We Farm Farmers’ Foundation, said the campaign was against the State government’s “poor handling” of farmers’ issues and should be viewed in the context of the defeat of former Minister and LDF candidate A.K. Saseendran.

Mr. Nedungadan had contested the election, raising issues such as increasing human-wildlife conflicts, crop destruction, delayed compensation to victims and the alleged lack of preventive measures in forest-fringe regions. His candidature was supported by various farmers’ organisations and rural groups that had been leading agitations in the upland areas of Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

Mr. Nedungadan finished with the lowest vote tally among the candidates, polling 117 votes. However, the organisations that backed him maintained that their main objective was not to secure victory for their candidate but to ensure the defeat of Mr. Saseendran as part of their protest campaign.

According to campaign coordinators, the candidate had appealed to voters to cast their votes keeping in mind the grievances of farmers and their dissatisfaction with the “unsatisfactory” intervention of the Forest department and the government in addressing wildlife-related issues.

Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday (May 13), Mr. Nedungadan said the campaign was carried out amid pressure and resistance from supporters of rival political fronts. “In the final phase of the campaign, I had openly explained that my intention was not to achieve a huge vote share,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers involved in agitations in upland areas such as Chakkittappara, Peruvannamuzhi, Chempanoda, Muthukad, Kakkayam and Koorachundu said the poll outcome was mainly the result of an anti-incumbency trend.

Several organisations, including supporters of the Farmers Relief Forum, Indian Farmers Movement, Kerala Independent Farmers Association, All Kerala Catholic Congress and Karshaka Maha Panchayat, had extended support to the candidature.