Polling will be held in all twenty parliamentary seats in Kerala, which has never voted a BJP lawmaker to Parliament, in the second phase of Lok Sabha Elections scheduled on Friday, April 26.
From Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s re-election bid in Wayanad to Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s challenge to three-term member of parliament Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram, the political landscape of Kerala is set to witness some keenly watched contests on Friday.
The Congress and the Left– both partners in opposition’s INDIA bloc– are the main rivals in Kerala. Until now, the contest in Kerala has been bi-polar, but with the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a force to reckon with, some seats are likely to witness a triangular contest. What remains to be seen is if the BJP can open its account to the Lok Sabha from Kerala in the April 26 elections.
Also Read: Will Rahul Gandhi retain Wayanad in three-cornered fight with CPI’s Annie Raja and BJP’s K Surendran in Phase 2?
In 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) created history and won 19 out of 20 seats in Kerala. The Congress won 15 seats, while its allies, the Indian Union Muslim League, won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one, and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat in Alappuzha. The Left-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is in power in the state.
Here is a look at the top 5 fights in Kerala :
Wayanad
The contest in Wayanad is arguably the most important of all 20 seats of Kerala as Rahul Gandhi, the most prominent leader of the Congress, is seeking a re-election from this seat. The contest has become a prestige battle for Gandhi, especially since he lost the election from Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh to Union Minister Smriti Irani in 2019.
The state’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded CPI leader Annie Raja from the seat. CPI is the Congress’ partner in opposition INDIA bloc but is also an ally of the ruling LDF in the state, where its rival is the Congress-led UDF. With Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate K Surendran, the Kerala president of the party, in the fray, the contest has become triangular.
Thiruvananthapuram
The election for Thiruvananthapuram could have been predictable in favour of three-time MP Shashi Tharoor if the BJP had not fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against him.
With Chandrasekhar in the fray, the contest becomes interesting considering that the BJP finished second in the seat in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The LDF has fielded CPI leader Pannyan Ravindran, a former MP, from the seat
Pathanamthitta
The sitting Member of Parliament (MP) and UDF candidate Anto Antony is contesting the elections from the Pathanamthitta seat against former Congress leader and BJP candidate Anil Antony. Anto is a three-term MP from Pathanamthitta while Anil is the son of former Union Minister and Congress veteran AK Antony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself sought votes for Anil Antony.
Also Read: Anil vs Anto: Kerala’s Pathanamthitta to witness battle of the Antony(s)
The contest became interesting after the entry of senior CPM leader and former state finance minister Thomas Isaac as the LDF candidate.
Alappuzha
Sitting member of parliament (MP) and senior CPI (M) leader AM Ariff is the LDF candidate from Alappuzha. Ariff is up against Congress leader and former MP KC Venugopal and Shobha Surendran of the BJP. Venugopal, the AICC orangisational secretary, won the seat in 2014. Shobha Surendran is the state vice president of the BJP.
Attingal
UDF has fielded sitting MP Adoor Prakash against BJP candidate and Union Minister V Muraleedharan from Attingal. The LDF has fielded CPM leader and Varkala MLA V Joy from the seat.
Also Read: Lok Sabha elections 2024 phase 2 voting on April 26: Key candidates, full list of all constituencies going to polls
While Prakash won the seat in 2019, BJP’s Shobha Surendran finished third, polling about 25 per cent votes from here. Shobha Surendran is contesting this time from Alappuzha against KC Venugopal
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Published: 25 Apr 2024, 05:51 PM IST