A narrow win by the Pheu Thai-backed candidate in the June 30 local poll in Pathum Thani indicates that the ruling party is having a tough time expanding its support base, according to political observers.
Charn Phuangphet, a Pheu Thai Party candidate, won the election for Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) chairman in Pathum Thani with 203,032 votes, defeating his main opponent, Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit Toopkrajang, who ran under the Khon Rak Pathum (Love Pathum) group banner, by only 1,820 votes.
Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok's Institute, told the Bangkok Post that the narrow margin suggested that neither Mr Charn nor Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit were able to make significant waves.
Although Mr Charn won the contest, the close race means that the Pheu Thai Party, despite mobilising all resources to help with Mr Charn's campaign, is struggling to broaden its base in this central province, he said.
Pheu Thai is believed to have attached importance to this PAO election, considering the level of assistance Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her brother, Panthongtae, lent to Mr Charn's election campaign.
Their father, Thaksin, also went to the province and called on the red shirts, who make up the core of Pheu Thai's followers, to consolidate and rally behind the party.
As the ruling party, Pheu Thai is also believed to have secured support from influential political families and interest groups within the province to back its candidate.
According to Mr Stithorn, the election result indicates Thaksin's political clout remains strong and the Pheu Thai Party can still beat its political rivals in future polls.
"But the fact that Mr Charn couldn't win a decisive victory means the party can't sit back and relax. Instead, the party must work hard to win public support," he said.
Mr Stithorn said Bhumjaithai and the Move Forward Party (MFP) had kept their distance in the PAO contest because they were unsure about the relationship between Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit and Thaksin.
Mr Stithorn said Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit failed to be re-elected, possibly due to two reasons -- locals were not impressed by his performance and the two political parties were reluctant to lend him support.
Bhumjaithai, one of the members of the Pheu-Thai-led coalition government stayed away from Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit's campaign to placate Pheu Thai, while the MFP, on the other hand, doubted Pol Lt Gen Kamronwit's independence, according to Mr Stithorn.
Jade Donavanik, Chairman of the Faculty of Law College of Asian Scholars, told the Bangkok Post that the PAO race clearly showed Thaksin's interest in local and national politics remains strong following his return from exile.
He said the PAO contest reminded him of the last Bangkok governor race in which Chadchart Sittipunt, who was one of the Pheu Thai's prime ministerial candidates in the 2019 general election, ran for the governorship as an independent candidate.
He said Thaksin was using the PAO contest to rebuild support for the Pheu Thai Party in the province despite him still being on parole and being indicted on a lese majeste charge.
Kamronwit: Failed in re-election bid
