Kerala Assembly polls: Metro Man in fray, all eyes on Palakkad constituency

Kerala's Palakkad constituency is set to witness a tight competition with India's 'Metro Man' and BJP candidate E Sreedharan in the fray in this electoral battle.

A political analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity told ANI that the entry of the technocrat-turned politician Sreedharan has turned Palakkad into a keenly watched contest.

Sreedharan, the architect of the metro rail system in the country, joining the BJP was a much-celebrated event among the BJP lovers in and out of the state. BJP hopes to get the benefit from their undeclared Chief Minister face, Sreedharan's candidature throughout the state.

The BJP has high hopes in the assembly seat, despite the incumbent MLA Shafi Parambil winning a majority of nearly 17,000 votes in the 2016 elections. This is a seat held by the UDF since 2011. BJP is pinning hopes on its increasing vote share in the constituency, which comprises Palakkad Municipality and is one of the two civic bodies in which the BJP is in power in the state.

Apart from the Palakkad constituency, Palakkad district with 12 constituencies is witnessing one of the hottest electoral contests in recent times.

The LDF currently holds nine of the 12 seats in the district. Like Shafi Parambil in Palakkad, it is not an easy for the Congress' young incumbent VT Balram, and the CPI(M) is struggling to safeguard its fortresses such as Shoranur, Ottappalam, Malampuzha, Tarur, Nenmara and Alathur. But the BJP is trying to trump this election by presenting Sreedharan in Palakkad.

Thrithala constituency of Palakkad is considering as the stronghold of Congress which is the seat of VT Balram, another well-known young politician, for the past 10 years. But the CPI(M) has fielded their best leader in the district, MB Rajesh, former Member of Parliament and a very active spokesperson of the party. T Sanku Das has been fielded by BJP there.

Malampuzha is one of the prestigious constituency of CPI(M)- led LDF because of the most senior leader of the party VS Achuthanandan, who is the sitting MLA from here. But due to the absence of the former CM of Kerala throughout the last five years, UDF and NDA are giving a tough fight here.

BJP stood second in 2016 here. LDF has replaced A Prabhakaran here for Achuthanandan. At the same time, NDA fielded C Krishnakumar who became the runner-up last time and got 46,157 votes and polled 28.9 per cent votes. He has been focusing on Malampuzha in the past five years since he lost to Achuthanandan by 27,142 votes in 2016. This time, UDF has fielded SK Ananthakrishnan from Congress after the continuous protest of its workers against the allotment of seat to its ally Bharatiya National Janatadal.

Kerala votes in a single phase today with results scheduled to be announced on May 2.