Kerala has a unicameral government with 141 members, where 140 are elected and one is nominated from the Anglo-Indian community of the state. Though the Governor is the constitutional head of the state, the real executive powers lie in the hands of the Chief Minister and the Cabinet. The state represents 20 seats in the Lok Sabha, and nine seats in the Rajya Sabha. Politics in the state is dominated by two major political parties, the Indian National Congress (INC) led by the United Democratic Front (UDF), and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, does not have a strong presence in the state.
In their manifesto, the people of Kerala have expressed a need for better healthcare, and the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), that criminalizes homosexuality to be repealed.
Election History
Since the formation of the state, Kerala has witnessed 13 legislatures. The first legislative assembly was formed on 5 April 1957 with 127 members. Subsequently, more districts were added to the state of Kerala, thereby the number of members going up to 141, including a nominated member. Though the state has come under the President's rule four times since its formation, the two major political parties i.e. the Congress and the Left continued to slug it out for the top post. The first Chief Minister of Kerala was CPI's EMS Namboodiripad. The incumbent Congress has governed the state for ten terms since its formation, with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy presiding over his second term. The last assembly elections held in 2011, saw a close contest between the two coalitions. The Congress-led UDF beat the LDF by a margin of just four seats. The UDF bagged 72 seats, while the LDF clinched a close 68. Oommen Chandy faced stiff competition from V S Achuthanandan, who governed the state from 2006 to 2011.
The 2014 general elections were the state's 16th Lok Sabha elections. The first general election in Kerala was held in 1951, in which INC came out victorious. The Left (CPI and CPM) dominated the state in the second, fourth and seventh Lok Sabha polls, held in 1957, 1967 and 1980, respectively. INC has been in majority in the state, either individually or in an alliance as the UDF, in 1962, 1971, 1977, 1984, 1989 and 1991. In the 2009 general elections, a total number of 1,59,94,420 valid votes were counted, which saw a landslide victory of the UDF, and it continues to be in power. The much-awaited Lok Sabha elections took place on 10 April 2014 in Kerala. As per the Election Commission of India, counting took place on 16 May 2014.
Political Parties
- Indian National Congress : The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is a wing of the Indian National Congress in the state. Led by VM Sudheeran, the party leads the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition in the state. The coalition was created in 1970s by late Congress veteran K Karunakaran. The UDF has governed the state with the support of other social and religious parties. The incumbent coalition in Kerala, the UDF includes the Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress, Socialist Janata (Democratic) Party, Kerala Congress (B), Revolutionary Socialist Party (Baby John), Kerala Congress (Jacob), Revolutionary Socialist Party and CMP.
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) : The CPI(M) leads the Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition in the state. Led by V Achuthanandan, the LDF has been in power alternatively for the last two decades. Apart from the CPI(M), the LDF includes the CPI, Janata Dal (Secular), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Indian Congress (Socialist), Kerala Congress (Anti-merger Group) and two other independent supporters.
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP):BJP is one of the major political parties in India. As of 2018, this party is considered as the country's largest political party with substantial presence in the Parliament as well as in state assemblies. Moreover, BJP is a right-wing party, and its policy reflects Hindu nationalist positions.
Prominent Leaders
- Shashi Tharoor: Shashi Tharoor is a famous Indian politician and a diplomat. Currently he is serving as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Despite this, he is a famous writer and an official spokesperson for the Indian National Congress (INC). He has also served at Ministry of External Affairs as a minister of state. At United Nations, Shashi Tharoor worked as a career official and rose to the rank of Under-Secretary General for Public Information and Communications.
ass="table_head">Election Highlights
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Quick Facts |
No. of PCs : 20
No. of Polling Days : 1
Polling Dates :23 April 2019 (Phase 3)
Poll Expenditure Limit per Candidate : Rs.70 lakhs
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Kerala Parliamentary Constituency Winners 2009
PC No. | PC Name | Category | Winning Candidate | Gender | Party | Total Votes |
1 | Kasaragod | GEN | P Karunakaran | M | CPI (M) | 385522 |
2 | Kannur | GEN | K. Sudhakaran | M | INC | 432878 |
3 | Vadakara | GEN | Mullappally Ramachandran | M | INC | 421255 |
4 | Wayanad | GEN | M.I. Shanavas | M | INC | 410703 |
5 | Kozhikode | GEN | M.K. Raghavan | M | INC | 342309 |
6 | Malappuram | GEN | E. Ahamed | M | IUML | 427940 |
7 | Ponnani | GEN | E.T. Muhammed Basheer | M | IUML | 385801 |
8 | Palakkad | GEN | M.B. Rajesh | M | CPI (M) | 338070 |
9 | Alathur | (SC) | P.K Biju | M | CPI (M) | 387352 |
10 | Thrissur | GEN | P C Chacko | M | INC | 385297 |
11 | Chalakudy | GEN | K.P. Dhanapalan | M | INC | 399035 |
12 | Ernakulam | GEN | Prof. K V Thomas | M | INC | 342845 |
13 | Idukki | GEN | Adv. P.T Thomas | M | INC | 408484 |
14 | Kottayam | GEN | Jose K. Mani | M | Kerala Congress (M) | 404962 |
15 | Alappuzha | GEN | K.C Venugopal | M | INC | 468679 |
16 | Mavelikkara | (SC) | Kodikkunnil Suresh | M | INC | 397211 |
17 | Pathanamthitta | GEN | Anto Antony Punnathaniyil | M | INC | 408232 |
18 | Kollam | GEN | N.Peethambarakurup | M | INC | 357401 |
19 | Attingal | GEN | Adv. A Sampath | M | CPI (M) | 328036 |
20 | Thiruvananthapuram | GEN | Shashi Tharoor | M | INC | 326725 |
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Parliamentary Constituencies in Kerala |
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