Venugopal has his task cut out to retain the seat which he captured from LDF by a margin of more than 57,000 votes in 2009 as the locals are unhappy over non-implementation of promises he made to them during the last election.
Some of these include setting up a cargo complex in Alappuzha, once a busy trade centre, completion of a by-pass and lapses in carrying out the Kuttanad Package for revival of agriculture sector in the area.
The scam pertains to Saritha and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishna allegedly cheating people of huge sums of money by offering them solar energy solutions.
However, Venugopal has maintained that he had done everything possible to see the by-pass fructify and brought several new tourist investments in his constituency.
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The constituency, which witnessed the heady days of the start of the Communist movement in Kerala, has returned Congress candidates on most occasions in the last two decades.