LS Polls: 290 Candidates File Nominations for Kerala

The Chief Electoral Office announced that 290 candidates have filed their nomination papers across different Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala as the deadline for submission ended on Thursday.

“A total of 499 nomination papers have been received so far,” the release said.

On Friday, the scrutiny of nomination papers will occur, followed by the release of the final list of candidates after the withdrawal deadline on April 8. Here are the constituency-wise details of candidates who have submitted nomination papers: Thiruvananthapuram – 22, Attingal – 14, Kollam – 15, Pathanamthitta – 10, Mavelikkara – 14, Alappuzha – 14, Kottayam – 17, Idukki – 12, Ernakulam – 14, Chalakudy – 13, Thrissur – 15, Alathur – 8, Palakkad – 16, Ponnani – 20, Malappuram – 14, Kozhikode – 15, Wayanad – 12, Vadakara – 14, Kannur – 18, and Kasaragod – 13.

In the Thiruvananthapuram Constituency, the highest number of candidates submitted nomination papers, totaling 22, while the lowest number was in Alathoor, with only 8 candidates. Nomination paper submission commenced in the state on March 28th. On Thursday, the final day of submission, 252 nomination papers were received.

Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala stands out as one of the most high-profile constituencies in this Lok Sabha election. Congress’s three-time MP Shashi Tharoor is facing off against BJP’s Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and a formidable left candidate, Pannyan Raveendran, a former MP.

Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency is comprised of six Assembly segments: Nemom, Kovalam, Neyyattinkara, Parassala, Vattiyoorkav, and Kazhakkoottam. Kerala, known for having the highest literacy rate in the country, holds 20 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2019 general elections, Shashi Tharoor emerged victorious in Thiruvananthapuram, securing 416,131 votes, which accounted for 41.4 percent of the total votes. He was followed by BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan, who garnered 416,131 votes, constituting 31.4 percent, and Communist Party of India’s C. Divakaran, who received 258,556 votes, making up 25.7 percent of the total votes.

In the 2014 elections, Shashi Tharoor secured victory once again, defeating BJP candidate O. Rajagopal. In the current election, the BJP has nominated Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to contest against Congress MP Tharoor. This marks Chandrasekhar’s debut in Lok Sabha polls, having previously served as a national spokesperson for the BJP.

Kerala is scheduled to conduct its elections in a single phase on April 26. With 20 Lok Sabha constituencies, Kerala has never seen the BJP clinch a parliamentary seat in the state. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA emerged victorious with 353 seats, while the UPA secured 91 seats, and Other parties won 98 seats.