Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Kerala constituency profile: Will N.K. Premachandran hit a hat-trick in Kollam?
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Mar 25, 2024, 11:56 AM ISTIn the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Kollam, the CPM has nominated actor and Kollam MLA Mukesh, while the BJP has fielded actor G Krishna Kumar. While MP NK Premachandran of the RSP is contesting for the third time in the Kollam constituency.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, UDF candidate and RSP leader NK Premachandran secured victory in the Kollam constituency with a significant majority of one and a half lakh votes. The question now arises: will NK Premachandran achieve a hat-trick victory in RSP's hometown of Kollam? The electoral landscape suggests that Mukesh of the CPM, the main opponent, faces a formidable challenge in unseating Premachandran, who has a track record of attracting left-leaning votes. The attention of political fronts is focused on labor votes, which could play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the election.
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Kollam stands as a significant Lok Sabha constituency where Left and Socialist parties hold considerable sway. A glimpse into its political history dating back to 1957 underscores this reality. Notably, the RSP has emerged victorious in numerous elections within the constituency. A pivotal moment occurred when the RSP's Kerala unit departed from the Left Front and aligned with the UDF, protesting the lack of allocation of the Kollam seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Since this strategic shift, NK Premachandran has clinched victory twice as a UDF candidate in 2014 and 2019. Once again, he enters the Lok Sabha fray representing the UDF in Kollam, showcasing the enduring significance of political realignments in the region.
In the 2014 elections, NK Premachandran secured victory in Kollam with a substantial majority of 37,649 votes, a margin that he significantly expanded upon in the 2019 elections, where his majority surged to 1,48,869 votes. His main opponents in these elections were CPM politburo member MA Baby in 2014 and former Rajya Sabha member KN Balagopal in 2019. Despite Balagopal's prominence as a Rajya Sabha MP, he failed to make significant headway against Premachandran. In the 2019 elections, with a total of 9,69,017 votes cast in Kollam, Premachandran secured a convincing victory with 499,667 votes, representing 51.61% of the total votes. As he seeks a hat-trick victory, Premachandran is likely to approach the upcoming elections with confidence, given his strong performance and support base in the constituency.
In the upcoming elections, the CPM has stirred up buzz by nominating actor and Kollam MLA Mukesh as its candidate, while the BJP has finally revealed actor G Krishna Kumar as its contender after much anticipation. Mukesh faces the challenge of surpassing KN Balagopal's 36.24% vote share from the 2019 elections. Meanwhile, G Krishnakumar aims to improve upon his performance, as BJP garnered a mere 10.67% of the vote share. The Kollam Lok Sabha Constituency comprises Kollam, Kundara, Chathannoor, Chadayamangalam, Punalur, Iravipuram, and Chavara assembly constituencies, where both the UDF and LDF fronts are vigorously campaigning.
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