UDF fights hope for Cherthala as LDF, NDA

It was from Cherthala Assembly constituency that KR Gauri, a former communist firebrand, was elected to the first Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957 and became Revenue Minister in the EMS Namputiripad-led Communist government in the state.

He was re-elected from Cherthala in 1960. The constituency had elected former Chief Minister AK Antony (1970, 1996 and 2001), veteran Congress leader Vayalar Ravi (1982 and 1987) and former Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary CK Chandrappan. (1991), thus achieving the status of a VIP constituency.

CPI’s encounter food and supply minister p. Thilothman completed a hat-trick of victories in Cherthala, when he won the 2016 election by his nearest rival S. of Congress. Defeated Sarath by a margin of 7,196 votes.

Despite being seen as a traditional stronghold of the left front, Cherthala has at times embraced the United Democratic Front (UDF).

After winning three times, Mr. Thilomathan will not be in the fray this time. State Executive Member of CPI Party P. Preparations are on to field Prasad. In the UDF, the seat will be contested by the Congress, which has to finalize a candidate. In the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Bharatha will field Dharma Jana Sena, a member of the CPI, a former member of the CPI and the president of the Thanneeermukkom Gram Panchayat.

While the Left Democratic Front (LDF) hopes to retain the constituency, the UDF aims to capture the seat after a 15-year hiatus. The presence of the NDA, which garnered 19,614 votes in the 2016 assembly elections and 22,655 votes in the assembly constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, could not be ignored.

Recent electoral history, whether it is the 2019 Lok Sabha election or the 2020 local body election, however, favors the LDF. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the LDF had the upper hand in the assembly constituency, polling 16,895 more votes than the UDF.

Among the local bodies in the constituency, the LDF is in power with the Cherthala municipality in Cherthala South, Thannermukkom, Vayalar, Muhamma and Kanjikuzhi. The UDF rules rule the Pattanakkad and Kadakarapalli gram panchayats.