Lok Sabha Election 2024 Kerala Constituency Profile: Will UDF's Rajmohan Unnithan retain Kasaragod?

The upcoming Lok Sabha election in Kasaragod sees a keen contest between CPM's MV Balakrishnan master, Congress's Rajmohan Unnithan, and BJP's ML Ashwini. In 2019, Unnithan won the seat for Congress, breaking the Left's stronghold.

Aishwarya Nair

First Published Mar 18, 2024, 1:26 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 18, 2024, 1:26 PM IST

For a long time, Kasaragod has been a stronghold of the Left in Lok Sabha elections, with notable leaders like AKG and P Karunakaran representing the constituency. However, in a significant shift, Congress leader Rajmohan Unnithan clinched victory in 2019, reshaping the political landscape. Now, the question arises: will history repeat itself as Rajmohan Unnithan seeks to contest once more from Kasaragod on behalf of the UDF?

In the 2019 elections, the CPM fielded KP Satish Chandran in the Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency, breaking from the tradition of nominating P Karunakaran, who had served three terms in the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Congress introduced Rajmohan Unnithan as an outsider candidate for Kasaragod. Initially facing some challenges on the campaign trail, Unnithan soon gained popularity among supporters, earning the affectionate moniker "Unnicha" and altering the electoral landscape of Kasaragod.

Unnithan, who was sent as a new face of the UDF, emerged as a standout figure, transforming into a guest star. This shift in dynamics saw the traditionally Left-leaning Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency aligning with the Congress.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Kasaragod constituency witnessed a turnout of 80.65%, with 10,91,752 voters casting their ballots. Despite the CPM's historical stronghold, the Congress clinched victory in the Lok Sabha constituency with Rajmohan Unnithan securing a majority of 40,438 votes.

Rajmohan Unnithan got 474,961 votes and CPM's KP Satish Chandra garnered 4,34,523 votes. BJP candidate Ravisha Tantri Kuntar, who contested for NDA, got 1,76,049 votes.

The results of the 2019 contest highlight Rajmohan Unnithan's advantage, as the voter turnout and percentage increased in the Kasaragod constituency compared to 2014. Despite Satish Chandran securing more votes than P Karunakaran in 2014, the CPM suffered defeat. In that election, P Karunakaran won by a slim majority of only 6,921 votes. In previous elections, such as in 2009 and 2004, P Karunakaran enjoyed significant majorities of 64,427 and 1,08,256 votes respectively in the Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency.

In the upcoming election, CPM is aiming to reclaim Kasaragod with MV Balakrishnan Master as its candidate. Meanwhile, Rajmohan Unnithan is contesting again for the Congress, seeking to retain the constituency. BJP has entered the fray with ML Ashwini as its candidate.

Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency is composed of Manjeshwar, Kasaragod, Udma, Kanhangad, Trikaripur, and Payyanur and Kalliasseri of Kannur district.

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