Known for its vibrant political scene, Kerala remains a stronghold for the Congress party. In the 2019 elections, the Indian National Congress (INC) won the majority of seats in Kerala, while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) did not secure a single seat.
Key contestants
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala are critical for both the INC and NDA. Rahul Gandhi, a potential Congress Prime Ministerial candidate, represents the Wayanad constituency, highlighting the state's importance to the party. The NDA aims to improve its presence in Kerala, focusing on making significant inroads during the upcoming elections.
Prominent candidates include two union ministers, a state minister, three actors, and several MLAs. The BJP-led NDA has fielded the highest number of female candidates, emphasising gender inclusivity.
|
S. Number
|
Constituency | Key Candidates/Parties | 2019 Lok Sabha Winner/Party |
| 1. | Palakkad |
VK Sreekandan (Congress) A Vijayaraghavan (CPM) C Krishnakumar (BJP) |
VK Sreekandan (Congress) |
| 2. | Alathur |
Ramya Haridas (Congress) K Radhakrishnan (CPM) Dr TN Sarasu (BJP) |
Ramya Haridas (Congress) |
| 3. | Idukki |
Dean Kuriakose (Congress) Advocate Joice George (CPM) Sangeetha Viswanathan (BDJS) |
Dean Kuriakose (Congress) |
| 4. | Kozhikode |
MK Raghavan (Congress) Elamaram Kareem (CPM) MT Ramesh (BJP) |
MK Raghavan (Congress) |
| 5. | Kannur |
K Sudhakaran (Congress) MV Jayarajan (CPM) C Raghunath (BJP) |
K Sudhakaran (Congress) |
| 6. | Vatakara |
Shafi Parambil (Congress) KK Shailaja (CPM) Prafulla Krishnan (BJP) |
K Muraleedharan (Congress) |
| 7. | Kasaragod |
Rajmohan Unnithan (Congress) MV Balakrishnan Master (CPM) ML Ashwini (BJP) |
Rajmohan Unnithan (Congress) |
| 8. | Wayanad |
Rahul Gandhi (Congress) Annie Raja (CPI) K Surendran (BJP) |
Rahul Gandhi (Congress) |
| 9. | Malappuram |
ET Mohammed Basheer (IUML) V Vaseef (CPM) Dr M Abdul Salam (BJP) |
PK Kunhalikutty (IUML) |
| 10. | Kottayam |
Thomas Chazhikadan (KCM) Thushar Vellappally (BDJS) Advocate K Francis George (Kerala Congress) |
Thomas Chazhikadan (KCM) |
| 11. | Mavelikara |
Kodikkunnil Suresh (Congress) CA Arun Kumar (CPI) Baiju Kalasala (BDJS) |
Kodikkunnil Suresh (Congress) |
| 12. | Alappuzha |
KC Venugopal (Congress) AM Ariff (CPM) Sobha Surendran (BJP) |
AM Ariff (CPM) |
| 13. | Chalakudy |
Benny Behanan (Congress) C Raveendranath (CPM) KA Unnikrishnan (BDJS) |
Benny Behanan (Congress) |
| 14. | Thrissur |
K Muraleedharan (Congress) VS Sunil Kumar (CPI) Suresh Gopi (BJP) |
TN Prathapan (Congress) |
| 15. | Ernakulam |
Hibi Eden (Congress) KJ Shine Teacher (CPM) KS Radhakrishnan (BJP) |
Hibi Eden (Congress) |
| 16. | Attingal |
Adoor Prakash (Congress) V Joy (CPM) V Muraleedharan (BJP) |
Adoor Prakash (Congress) |
| 17. | Kollam |
NK Premachandran (RSP) Mukesh Madhavan (CPM) G Krishnakumar (BJP) |
NK Premachandran (RSP) |
| 18. | Pathanamthitta |
Anto Antony (Congress) Anil K Antony (BJP) Dr TM Thomas Issac (CPM) |
Anto Antony (Congress) |
| 19. | Thiruvananthapuram |
Shashi Tharoor (Congress) Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP) Pannian Ravindran (CPI) |
Shashi Tharoor (Congress) |
| 20. | Ponnani |
Dr MP Abdussamad Samadani (IUML) KS Hamza (CPM) Advocate Niveditha Subramanian (BJP) |
ET Muhammed Basheer (IUML) |
Profile of key contestants
VK Sreekandan
At 54 years old, V K Sreekandan holds a graduate degree and currently serves as a Member of Parliament, engaging in public work. Sreekandan has five cases pending against him. Financially, he possesses a net worth of Rs 1.2 crore, which includes Rs 53 lakh in movable assets and Rs 71.3 lakh in immovable assets. He also has liabilities amounting to Rs 54.6 lakh.
Ramya Haridas
Ramya Haridas, handpicked by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, gained national attention after defeating CPM’s sitting lawmaker P K Biju by 1.58 lakh votes in Alathur, a traditional Left stronghold.
Coming from a financially weak background, the 38-year-old Ramya is also known for her singing talents, which became a highlight of her election campaigns. Supporters crowdfunded her campaign, receiving overwhelming support.
Before her Lok Sabha bid, Ramya served as a panchayat president. She is the second woman from the Dalit community to become a Lok Sabha MP from Kerala. Active in politics since her student days, she participated in land reform agitations, marking her commitment to social causes.
Dean Kuriakose
Dean Kuriakose, a lawyer by profession and a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), achieved a significant victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, representing Idukki. Kuriakose secured an impressive 498,493 votes, while his nearest competitor, independent candidate Advocate Joice George, garnered 327,440 votes. Kuriakose's decisive lead of 171,053 votes underscored his strong electoral performance.
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress (INC) has clinched a significant victory in the Lok Sabha elections, winning his seat by a margin of 431,770 votes. Gandhi received a total of 706,367 votes, capturing 65.00% of the vote share. His closest competitor, P.P. Suneer from the Communist Party of India (CPI), garnered 274,597 votes, accounting for 25.13% of the total votes.
Shashi Tharoor
In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Dr. Shashi Tharoor of the Indian National Congress (INC) secured his seat with a margin of 99,989 votes. Dr. Tharoor garnered 416,131 votes, achieving a 41.00% vote share. His main opponent, Kummanam Rajasekharan from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), received 316,142 votes, equating to 31.26% of the total votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Dr. Tharoor also emerged victorious, polling 297,806 votes with a 34.09% vote share.
Key issues
This election cycle has seen heightened activism and contention, with major issues including the CAA implementation, 'love jihad' allegations, controversies surrounding 'The Kerala Story' movie, Manipur violence, Rahul Gandhi's candidature in Wayanad, and minority appeasement.
Voting details
Voting in Kerala took place on April 26. Over 2.77 crore voters, including more than five lakh first-time voters, will participate. Kottayam has the highest number of candidates at 14, while Alathur has the fewest at five. In total, there are 194 candidates, with 169 men and 25 women. Vadakara constituency stands out with four female candidates.
Security arrangements
The Election Commission has deployed 66,303 security personnel to ensure a peaceful polling process, with 25,231 booths set up across 13,272 locations. Kerala Police and Central forces are collaborating to safeguard the electoral process.
Constituencies and representation
Kerala ranks 12th among states in terms of Lok Sabha seats, with a total of 20 constituencies—18 unreserved and two reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. In the 2019 elections, the INC-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) secured 19 out of 20 seats, marking Kerala as the most successful state for the alliance.
Significance for political parties
The Congress aims to replicate its past success and fend off the ruling alliance with the support of its newly established I.N.D.I.A alliance. The NDA is determined to improve its performance in Kerala, targeting substantial gains in the upcoming elections.
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