Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Kerala Constituency Profile: Triangular contest in Kozhikode
MK Raghavan of the Congress is seeking his fourth consecutive term in the Kozhikode constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. He faces strong competition from Elamaram Kareem of the CPM and MT Ramesh of the BJP.
FollowAs the 2024 Lok Sabha election approaches, the Kozhikode constituency is abuzz with speculation: Will MK Raghavan secure a fourth consecutive term, or will Elamaram Kareem emerge victorious? This question dominates discussions among voters in Kozhikode. Notably, the BJP has fielded MT Ramesh, a prominent figure at the state level, adding further intrigue to the electoral landscape.
The Kozhikode Lok Sabha constituency comprises several assembly constituencies, including Balussery (CPM), Elathur (NCP), Kozhikode North (CPM), Kozhikode South (INL), Beypur (CPM), Kunnamangalam (CPM independent), and Koduvalli (Muslim League). MK Raghavan of the Congress held the MP seat for three consecutive terms since 2009. In the 2014 election, Raghavan secured victory with a majority of 16,883 votes, which increased to 85,225 in 2019. His primary opponent in the last election was A Pradeep Kumar of the CPM. In 2019, out of 1,076,882 total votes cast in the Kozhikode constituency, MK Raghavan received 493,444 votes, while A Pradeep Kumar garnered 408,219 votes. The BJP candidate, Adv. Prakash Babu, received 161,216 votes in 2019, whereas in 2014, BJP candidate CK Padmanabhan secured only 115,760 votes.
As MK Raghavan vies for his fourth consecutive term in Kozhikode, he faces stiff competition from Elamaram Kareem, also a Rajya Sabha MP, nominated by the CPM. Both candidates are vigorously campaigning in the constituency. Raghavan is focusing on securing the traditional Congress and League votes, while Kareem is targeting support from labor groups. MT Ramesh represents the BJP in the election. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, Ramesh contested from the Kozhikode North constituency and secured 30,952 votes. It's worth noting that minority votes hold significant importance in the Kozhikode Lok Sabha constituency.
