THIORUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency was once known as a CPI-M bastion.
However, things changed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after Congress candidate V. K. Sreekandan won after defeating the CPI-M candidate and incumbent Minister for Local Self Government M.B. Rajesh, who was fighting his third election from the constituency.
The last time Congress had won from the constituency was in 1991. The win of a Congress candidate from the Palakkad constituency surprised many and also helped the BJP’s candidate C. Krishnakumar come third, who managed to get over 2.18 lakh votes.
In the 2019 general election, Sreekandan defeated Rajesh by over 11,000 votes. Rajesh won the 2014 general election with a margin of over one lakh votes by defeating the former Union Minister M. P. Veerendrakumar.
However, the constituency will also witness the return of veteran CPI-M politburo member A.Vijayaraghavan, who won the Palakkad in 1989 but lost in the 1991 election.
Vijayaraghavan’s return has also warmed the Left cadres. It was from this constituency that CPI-M legendary figures like A.K. Gopalan and E.K. Nayanar won more than five decades back.
The Congress is banking upon the performance of Sreekandan and the anti-incumbency of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also campaign in the Palakkad constituency which will give a boost to the BJP candidate Krishnakumar.
Another advantage which may be beneficial to the BJP is the next-door Kovai constituency in Tamil Nadu. A spillover effect of Kovai constituency where BJP is fighting a massive electoral battle can also be felt in Palakkad.
As the campaign picks up, Palakkad is all set for a triangular contest between V. K. Sreekandan (Congress sitting MP); A.Vijayaraghavan (CPI-M); and C. Krishnakumar (BJP).