Introduction:
Kerala’s 2024 Election Changed The Political Landscape Of The State And Determined Its Future Course. We Go Into The Details Of The Kerala Election In This In-Depth Study, Examining The Major Players, Parties, And Results That Shaped The Election And Its Consequences.
Historical Background:
With A History Of Coalition Politics Led By The United Democratic Front (UDF) And The Left Democratic Front (LDF), Kerala Is Known For Its Dynamic Political Culture. To Understand The Dynamics Of The 2024 Election, One Must Comprehend The Political Evolution Of Kerala Within Its Historical Background.
Prior To The Election:
The 2024 Indian general election was held in Kerala on 26 April 2024 to elect 20 members of 18th Lok Sabha. The result of the election will be announced on 4 June 2024.[1]
Election schedule:
Poll event | |
---|---|
Phase | II |
Notification Date | 28 March |
Last Date for filing nomination | 04 April |
Scrutiny of nomination | 05 April |
Last Date for withdrawal of nomination | 08 April |
Date of poll | 26 April |
Date of counting of votes/Result | 04 June |
No. of constituencies | 20 |
Parties and alliances:
United Democratic Front:
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Contesting Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indian National Congress | K. Sudhakaran | 16 | |||
Indian Union Muslim League | Sadiq Ali Thangal | 2 | |||
Revolutionary Socialist Party | Shibu Baby John | 1 | |||
Kerala Congress | P. J. Joseph | 1 | |||
Total | 20 |
  Left Democratic Front:
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Contesting Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | M.V. Govindan | 15 | |||
Communist Party of India | Binoy Viswam | 4 | |||
Kerala Congress (M) | Jose K. Mani | 1 | |||
Total | 20 |
  National Democratic Alliance:
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Contesting Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Janata Party | K. Surendran | 16 | |||
Bharath Dharma Jana Sena | Thushar Vellapally | 4 | |||
Total | 20 |
Others:
Party | Symbol | Contesting Seats | |
---|---|---|---|
Bahujan Samaj Party | 18 | ||
Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) | 8 | ||
Ambedkarite Party of India | 3 | ||
Bahujan Dravida Party | 3 | ||
Bharatheeya Jawan Kisan Party | 3 | ||
Twenty 20 Party | 2 | ||
Marxist Communist Party of India (United) | 1 | ||
New Labour Party | 1 | ||
People’s Party of India (Secular) | 1 | ||
Samajwadi Jan Parishad | 1 | ||
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi | 1 | ||
Total | 42 |
Candidates:
Constituency | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDIA | NDA[2] | |||||||||
UDF | LDF[3] | |||||||||
1 | Kasaragod | INC | Rajmohan Unnithan | CPI(M) | MV Balakrishnan | BJP | ML Ashwini | |||
2 | Kannur | INC | K. Sudhakaran | CPI(M) | MV Jayarajan | BJP | C Raghunath | |||
3 | Vatakara | INC | Shafi Parambil | CPI(M) | K. K. Shailaja | BJP | Prafulla Krishna | |||
4 | Wayanad | INC | Rahul Gandhi | CPI | Annie Raja[4] | BJP | K Surendran | |||
5 | Kozhikode | INC | MK Raghavan | CPI(M) | Elamaram Kareem | BJP | MT Ramesh | |||
6 | Malappuram | IUML | ET Mohammed Basheer | CPI(M) | V Vaseef | BJP | M Abdul Salam | |||
7 | Ponnani | IUML | Abdussamad Samadani | CPI(M) | K.S. Hamza | BJP | Niveditha Subramanian | |||
8 | Palakkad | INC | VK Sreekandan | CPI(M) | A Vijayaraghavan | BJP | C KrishnaKumar | |||
9 | Alathur (SC) | INC | Ramya Haridas | CPI(M) | K. Radhakrishnan | BJP | TN Sarasu | |||
10 | Thrissur | INC | K Muraleedharan | CPI | VS Sunil Kumar | BJP | Suresh Gopi | |||
11 | Chalakudy | INC | Benny Behanan | CPI(M) | C Raveendranath | BDJS | KA Unnikrishnan | |||
12 | Ernakulam | INC | Hibi Eden | CPI(M) | KJ Shine | BJP | KS Radhakrishnan | |||
13 | Idukki | INC | Dean Kuriakose | CPI(M) | Joice George | BDJS | Sangeetha Vishwanathan | |||
14 | Kottayam | KEC | Francis George | KC(M) | Thomas Chazhikadan | BDJS | Thushar Velapally | |||
15 | Alappuzha | INC | KC Venugopal | CPI(M) | AM Ariff | BJP | Sobha Surendran | |||
16 | Mavelikara (SC) | INC | Kodikunnil Suresh | CPI | CA Arun Kumar | BDJS | Baiju Kalasala | |||
17 | Pathanamthitta | INC | Anto Antony | CPI(M) | Thomas Issac | BJP | Anil Antony | |||
18 | Kollam | RSP | NK Premachandran | CPI(M) | Mukesh Madhavan | BJP | G Krishnakumar | |||
19 | Attingal | INC | Adoor Prakash | CPI(M) | V Joy | BJP | V Muraleedharan | |||
20 | Thiruvananthapuram | INC | Shashi Tharoor | CPI | Pannyan Raveendran | BJP | Rajeev Chandrasekhar |
Electorate:
Constituency wise Eligible Electors:
No. | Constituency | Male | Female | Third Gender | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kasaragod | 7,01,475 | 7,50,741 | 14 | 14,52,230 |
2 | Kannur | 6,46,181 | 7,12,181 | 6 | 13,58,368 |
3 | Vatakara | 6,81,615 | 7,40,246 | 22 | 14,21,883 |
4 | Wayanad | 7,21,054 | 7,41,354 | 15 | 14,62,423 |
5 | Kozhikode | 6,91,096 | 7,38,509 | 26 | 14,29,631 |
6 | Malappuram | 7,45,978 | 7,33,931 | 12 | 14,79,921 |
7 | Ponnani | 7,29,255 | 7,41,522 | 27 | 14,70,804 |
8 | Palakkad | 6,82,281 | 7,15,849 | 13 | 13,98,143 |
9 | Alathur (SC) | 6,48,437 | 6,89,047 | 12 | 13,37,496 |
10 | Thrissur | 7,08,317 | 7,74,718 | 20 | 14,83,055 |
11 | Chalakudy | 6,34,347 | 6,76,161 | 21 | 13,10,529 |
12 | Ernakulam | 6,40,662 | 6,83,370 | 15 | 13,24,047 |
13 | Idukki | 6,15,084 | 6,35,064 | 9 | 12,50,157 |
14 | Kottayam | 6,07,502 | 6,47,306 | 15 | 12,54,823 |
15 | Alappuzha | 6,74,066 | 7,26,008 | 9 | 14,00,083 |
16 | Mavelikkara (SC) | 6,30,307 | 7,01,564 | 9 | 13,31,880 |
17 | Pathanamthitta | 6,83,307 | 7,46,384 | 9 | 14,29,700 |
18 | Kollam | 6,31,625 | 6,95,004 | 19 | 13,26,648 |
19 | Attingal | 6,53,549 | 7,43,223 | 35 | 13,96,807 |
20 | Thiruvananthapuram | 6,89,155 | 7,41,317 | 59 | 14,30,531 |
Total | 1,34,15,293 | 1,43,33,499 | 367 | 2,77,49,159[5] |
District wise – Overseas (NRI) Electors:
No. | District | Male Electors | Female Electors | Third Gender Electors | District Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kasargod | 3,157 | 133 | 0 | 3,290 |
2 | Kannur | 13,276 | 599 | 0 | 13,875 |
3 | Wayanad | 714 | 65 | 0 | 779 |
4 | Kozhikode | 34,002 | 1,787 | 4 | 35,793 |
5 | Malappuram | 14,590 | 529 | 2 | 15,121 |
6 | Palakkad | 4,200 | 257 | 0 | 4,457 |
7 | Thrissur | 3,519 | 498 | 1 | 4,018 |
8 | Ernakulam | 1,991 | 515 | 0 | 2,506 |
9 | Idukki | 263 | 62 | 0 | 325 |
10 | Kottayam | 1,203 | 322 | 0 | 1,525 |
11 | Alappuzha | 1,513 | 286 | 0 | 1,799 |
12 | Pathanamthitta | 1,801 | 437 | 0 | 2,238 |
13 | Kollam | 1,673 | 244 | 2 | 1,919 |
14 | Thiruvananthapuram | 1,863 | 331 | 0 | 2,194 |
Total | 83,765 | 6,065 | 9 | 89,839 |
Age Wise Electors:
Age Group | Male Electors | Female Electors | Third Gender Electors | State Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
18-19 | 2,77,084 | 2,57,288 | 22 | 5,34,394 |
20-29 | 22,41,328 | 22,30,491 | 119 | 44,71,938 |
30-39 | 27,61,925 | 26,66,165 | 114 | 54,28,204 |
40-49 | 28,11,446 | 30,62,002 | 68 | 58,73,516 |
50-59 | 23,87,739 | 27,49,835 | 27 | 51,37,601 |
60-69 | 17,83,503 | 19,25,095 | 8 | 37,08,606 |
70-79 | 9,10,122 | 10,57,726 | 7 | 19,67,855 |
80+ | 2,42,146 | 3,84,897 | 2 | 6,27,045 |
1,34,15,293 | 1,43,33,499 | 367 | 2,77,49,159 |
Voter Turnout:
No. | Constituency | Registered Electors | Total Polled Votes | Male | Female | Third Gender | Polling Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kasaragod | 14,52,230 | 11,04,331 | 5,13,460 | 5,90,866 | 5 | 76.04 |
2 | Kannur | 13,58,368 | 10,48,839 | 4,85,112 | 5,63,724 | 3 | 77.21 |
3 | Vatakara | 14,21,883 | 11,14,950 | 5,07,584 | 6,07,362 | 4 | 78.41 |
4 | Wayanad | 14,62,423 | 10,75,921 | 5,20,885 | 5,55,033 | 3 | 73.57 |
5 | Kozhikode | 14,29,631 | 10,79,683 | 5,15,836 | ,563,835 | 12 | 75.52 |
6 | Malappuram | 14,79,921 | 10,79,547 | 5,19,332 | 5,60,211 | 4 | 72.95 |
7 | Ponnani | 14,70,804 | 10,19,889 | 4,67,726 | 5,52,148 | 15 | 69.34 |
8 | Palakkad | 13,98,143 | 10,28,627 | 4,95,567 | 5,33,051 | 9 | 73.57 |
9 | Alathur (SC) | 13,37,496 | 9,81,945 | 4,76,187 | 5,05,753 | 5 | 73.42 |
10 | Thrissur | 14,83,055 | 10,81,125 | 5,09,052 | 5,72,067 | 6 | 72.90 |
11 | Chalakudy | 13,10,529 | 9,42,787 | 4,60,351 | 4,82,428 | 8 | 71.94 |
12 | Ernakulam | 13,24,047 | 9,04,131 | 4,50,659 | 4,53,468 | 4 | 68.29 |
13 | Idukki | 12,50,157 | 8,31,936 | 4,25,598 | 4,06,332 | 6 | 66.55 |
14 | Kottayam | 12,54,823 | 8,23,237 | 4,18,285 | 4,04,946 | 6 | 65.61 |
15 | Alappuzha | 14,00,082 | 10,50,726 | 5,08,933 | 5,41,791 | 2 | 75.05 |
16 | Mavelikkara (SC) | 13,31,880 | 8,78,360 | 4,17,202 | 4,61,155 | 3 | 65.95 |
17 | Pathanamthitta | 14,29,700 | 9,06,051 | 4,42,897 | 4,63,148 | 6 | 63.37 |
18 | Kollam | 13,26,648 | 9,04,047 | 4,24,134 | 4,79,906 | 7 | 68.15 |
19 | Attingal | 13,96,807 | 9,70,517 | 4,49,212 | 5,21,292 | 13 | 69.48 |
20 | Thiruvananthapuram | 14,30,531 | 9,50,829 | 4,67,078 | 4,83,722 | 29 | 66.47 |
Total | 2,77,49,159 | 1,97,77,478 | 94,75,090 | 1,03,02,238 | 150 | 71.27[5] |
Surveys and polls:
Opinion polls:
Polling agency | Date published[a] | Margin of Error | Lead | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDIA | NDA | Others | |||||
UDF | LDF | ||||||
ABP News-CVoter | April 2024[7] | ±3-5% | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
Mathrubhumi News-P-MARQ | March 2024[8] | ±3% | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
News 18 | March 2024[9] | ±3% | 14 | 4 | 2 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
ABP News-CVoter | March 2024[10] | ±5% | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
India TV-CNX | March 2024[11] | ±3% | 11 | 6 | 3 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
India Today-CVoter | February 2024[12] | ±3-5% | 20 | 0 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A | |
Times Now-ETG | December 2023[13] | ±3% | 12-15 | 3-5 | 0-1 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
India TV-CNX | October 2023[14] | ±3% | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
Times Now-ETG | September 2023[15] | ±3% | 18-20 | 0-2 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. | |
August 2023[16] | ±3% | 18-20 | 0-2 | 0 | I.N.D.I.A. |
Polling agency | Date published[b] | Margin of Error | Lead | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
INDIA | NDA | Others | |||||
UDF | LDF | ||||||
ABP News-CVoter | April 2024[17] | ±3-5% | 43% | 31% | 21% | 5% | 12 |
ABP News-CVoter | March 2024[10] | ±5% | 44.5% | 31.4% | 19.8% | 4.3% | 13.1 |
India Today-CVoter | February 2024[18] | ±3-5% | 78% | 17% | 5% | 61 | |
India Today-CVoter | August 2023[19] | ±3-5% | 81% | 14% | 5% | 67 |
Opinion polls (State-wise Alliances):
Polling agency | Date published | Margin of Error | I.N.D.I.A. | NDA | Others | Lead | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LDF | UDF | ||||||
Manorama News – CVoter [20] | January 2024 | 3% | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | UDF |
Reporter TV- Mega Survey [21] | February 2024 | 2% | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | UDF |
24 News – Jana Manasu [22] | February 2024 | 5% | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | UDF |
ABP News – CVoter[23] | March 2024 | ±3% | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | UDF |
CNN News18 – Mega Opinion Poll[24] | March 2024 | ±3% | 4 | 14 | 2 | 0 | UDF |
Mathrubhumi News-P-MARQ[25] | March 2024 | ±3% | 5-6 | 14-15 | 0 | 0 | UDF |
Results:
Results by alliance or party:
Alliance/ Party | Popular vote | Seats | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | ±pp | Contested | Won | +/− | ||||
UDF | INC | 16 | |||||||
IUML | 2 | ||||||||
RSP | 1 | ||||||||
KC | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 20 | ||||||||
LDF | CPI(M) | 15 | |||||||
CPI | 4 | ||||||||
KC(M) | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 20 | ||||||||
NDA | BJP | 16 | |||||||
BDJS | 4 | ||||||||
Total | 20 | ||||||||
Others | 42 | ||||||||
IND | 92 | ||||||||
NOTA | |||||||||
Total | 100% | – | 194 | 20 | – |
The Electoral Environment Of Kerala In 2024 Was Impacted By A Range Of Socio-Political Issues, Including Public Sentiment, Policy Efforts, Governance Performance, And Economic Indicators. Both The Opposition UDF And The Ruling LDF Put Up A Lot Of Effort To Win Over Voters By Outlining Their Goals And Pledges For The Growth Of The State.
Important Rivals:
The Communist Party Of India (Marxist)-Led Left Democratic Front (LDF) Was The Main Opponent In The Kerala Election Of 2024 (CPI(M)), As Well As The Indian National Congress-Led United Democratic Front (UDF) (INC). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) And Its Allies Also Ran In A Number Of Constituencies In An Effort To Influence The State’s Customarily Divisive Politics.
Dynamics Of Campaigns:
Kerala’s Election Campaign Featured Fervent Political Gatherings, Open Forums, Door-To-Door Canvassing, And Media Appearances. Parties Addressed Everything From Social Justice, Environmental Preservation, And Cultural Identity To Infrastructure, Jobs, Healthcare, And Education. In Influencing Public Opinion, Campaign Tactics, Voter Outreach Initiatives, And Charismatic Leaders All Had A Significant Impact.
Localized Dynamics:
Election Results Are Frequently Influenced By Kerala’s Heterogeneous Regional Terrain, Which Includes Various Cultural, Linguistic, And Socioeconomic Identities. Parties Adjusted Their Tactics To Align With The Distinct Goals Reflecting The Worries Of Voters In Various Areas, Including As The Hilly Districts Of Wayanad And Idukki, Travancore, Kochi, And Malabar.
Election Day:
Voters Exercised Their Democratic Rights By Turning Out In Force On The Day Of The Kerala Election. All Around The State, The Polling Procedure Went Off Without A Hitch And According Strictly To COVID-19 Guidelines. Through Its Efforts, The Election Commission Was Able To Guarantee A Transparent And Equitable Electoral Process, Which Gave Stakeholders And Voters Trust.
Exit Surveys And Forecasts:
A Number Of Media Firms And Research Groups Conducted Exit Polls To Get A Preliminary Sense Of The Possible Results Of The Election. By Assessing Voter Opinion And Preferences, These Surveys Provided An Indication Of How The Competing Parties May Be Allocated Seats. But It’s Crucial To Remember That Exit Poll Data Are Only Suggestive And Not Conclusive Of The Result In The End.
Dramatic Counting Days:
On The Appointed Day, Political Parties And The General Public Eagerly Anticipated The Results As The Vote-Counting Process Got Underway. Election Officials And Observers Kept A Close Eye On The Tabulation Of Votes, Announcement Of Results, And Settlement Of Any Issues. Early Indicators Of The Election Result Were Given By The Formation Of Trends And Leads.
Findings And Interpretation:
The Kerala Election Results Of 2024 Witnessed A Fiercely Contested Fight Between The LDF And The UDF, With Both Coalitions Gaining Noteworthy Percentages Of The Vote And Seats. Kerala’s Electorate’s Varied Preferences Were Mirrored In The Final Result, Which Demonstrated The State’s Support For Democratic Expression And Political Plurality. Important Elements Including Voter Turnout, Alliance Dynamics, Leadership Attractiveness, And Incumbency Mobilization Activities Had An Impact On The Result.
Win For The Left Front:
After A Fiercely Contested Election, The Left Democratic Front Won A New Mandate To Rule Kerala For An Additional Term. Voters From A Variety Of Demographic Groups Responded Favorably To The LDF’s Emphasis On Progressive Policies, Welfare Programs, And Inclusive Development. The Coalition’s Record Of Success In Government, Especially In Fields Like Social Welfare, Healthcare, And Education, Improved Its Chances Of Winning Elections.
The UDF’s Performance:
The Kerala Election Saw The United Democratic Front Put Up A Strong Campaign, Demonstrating Its Organizational Prowess And Perseverance. Even Though The UDF Was Unable To Win A Majority, Its Performance Demonstrated That It Is Still Important In Kerala’s Political System. The Alliance Found Success By Concentrating On Problems Like Inflation, Joblessness, And Infrastructure Growth Striking A Chord With Specific Voter Demographics.
The BJP’s Political Imprint:
In An Attempt To Become A Major Political Force In The State, The Bharatiya Janata Party And Its Allies Worked Hard To Increase Their Electoral Presence In Kerala. Even Though The BJP Was Able To Gain Ground In Some Seats, Its Overall Performance Was Not Up To Par. The Electoral Fortunes Of The BJP In Kerala Were Influenced By Various Factors, Including Ideological Division, Coalition Dynamics, And Regional Differences.
Governance Consequences:
The Results Of The Kerala Election Will Have A Significant Impact On The State’s Political Stability, Governance, And Policy-Making. It Is The Duty Of The Triumphant LDF Alliance To Carry Out Its Electoral Pledges, Tackle Major Issues, And Guide Kerala’s Development In An Inclusive And Sustainable Manner. Sensible Financial Management, Responsive Leadership, And Administration Are Essential To Achieving The Goals Of The Voters And Solidifying The Coalition’s Mandate.
Summary:
Kerala’s 2024 Election Serves As A Prime Example Of The State’s Democratic Politics’ Vitality And Vigor. The Election Process, Which Was Characterized By Lively Discussions, Voter Turnout, And Grassroots Organizing, Highlights Kerala’s Dedication To Democratic Ideals And Pluralistic Values. Kerala Begins A New Phase In Its Progress And Prosperity As The LDF Takes Over For Another Term Of Office And The Opposition Reassesses Its Plans. Policymakers, Analysts, And Citizens Must All Grasp The Subtleties Of The Election Results In Order To Effectively Navigate The Opportunities And Difficulties That The State Will Face In The Future.