Shashi Tharoor to Sabarimala, here are the constituencies to watch in Kerala.
The 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala have shot into the spotlight because the BJP is making a push to expand its footprint in a state that may well be considered its final frontier. The state has also gained attention since Congress chief Rahul Gandhi decided to contest a second seat, from Wayanad.
But there is more drama than just this in Kerala this election. There are some contests and certain contestants who make a handful of constituencies worth watching.
Most exit polls have predicted that the Congress-led united Democratic Front (UDF) will sweep the state. Some exit polls also predicted that the BJP could win at least one seat here, which would make it the first time that the party would have an MP from Kerala.
Here are some constituencies that you should keep your eye on:
Thiruvananthapuram
This is easily Kerala most dramatic contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The sitting MP is the man who made people aware again of the existence of dictionaries and thesauruses, Shashi Tharoor. He has won the constituency twice in a row, and will be looking for a third term.
However, the rise of the BJP in this constituency may well thwart that. The high level of confidence of the saffron party can be gauged from the fact that its candidate here, Kummanam Rajasekharan, quit his post as Governor of Mizoram to come and fight the election. Rajasekharan is one of the most prominent BJP faces in Kerala.
In the last election, BJP candidate O Rajagopal led in four of the seven Assembly segments. The BJP stands a good chance of winning the constituency if it improves in any of the other areas, or if it manages to broaden its lead in the ones it is already strong in.
Wayanad
The Wayanad constituency has been picked as the second seat that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi would contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. It is considered a safe seat for the Congress, which won from here in the two election since the constituency was created ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha election. The Congress leader who won the seat twice, MI Shanavas died in November 2018, leaving the safe seat open for Rahul Gandhi. The move is intended to give the Congress a boost in the southern part of the country. Going up against Rahul Gandhi are PP Suneer of the CPI and Thushar Vellapally of NDA ally Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS).
Ernakulam
Ernakulam is a seat that the Congress can pretty much take for granted. Of the 18 times elections or bye-elections have been held here, the Congress has won 14 times. The seat is held by KV Thomas, who was a Minister of State in UPA-2. He has won the constituency five times.
Going up against him is Alphons Kannanthanam of the BJP, who is presently the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism. This is Alphons's first bid to get elected to the Lok Sabha. Also in the fray is CPM's P Rajeev.
Thrissur
This is a constituency that has been passed between the UDF and LDF in each election since 1999. However, this is one seat where anecdotal readings suggest the BJP may be in for a surge in support. Thrissur is considered the cultural capital of Kerala, and the Sabarimala issue is expected to have ramifications here. The BJP has put a highly visible foot forward, giving its ticket to Malayalam movie star Suresh Gopi, who has made his electoral debut. The main rumble however could end up going down between CPI's Rajaji Mathew Thomas and Congress's TN Prathapan.
Pathanamthitta
Whether the Sabarimala controversy will have electoral consequences or not will be clearer nowhere else. This is the constituency in which the hill shrine for Lord Ayyappa is located, and has been the epicentre of all the protests and counter-protests following the Supreme Court verdict and the Kerala government's decision to enforce the order allowing women to enter the shrine. The BJP candidate here, state general secretary K Surendran, was among the prominent faces actively involved in the protests earlier this year. He was among those who was arrested while trying to reach the temple. He is up against Congress's Anto Antony, who has won the constituency since its creation in 2008.
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 "Most exit polls have predicted a sweep for the Congress.")
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