{"id":54761,"date":"2016-03-01T16:12:21","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T10:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/?p=54761"},"modified":"2018-12-01T17:14:11","modified_gmt":"2018-12-01T11:44:11","slug":"kerala-assembly-elections-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/politics\/kerala-assembly-elections-2016","title":{"rendered":"Kerala Assembly Elections 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kerala<\/a><\/p>\n

With the Oommen Chandy government ending its tenure in May 2016, the state of Kerala goes to elections again this year. Over the decades, power has changed hands between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) at regular intervals in the state. In the last assembly elections held in April 2011, the UDF subjugated the LDF by a slender margin of four seats.<\/p>\n

Parties & Alliances<\/h3>\n

The leftist LDF and the centrist UDF happen to be the two major alliances which have formed government in Kerala from time to time. Besides these two traditional rivals, the BJP has emerged as a major challenger in the state. The party did not have any presence in the state before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Its alliance with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) and\u00a0Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) is expected to help the BJP get support from\u00a0Ezhavas as well as other backward communities.<\/p>\n

Issues in the State<\/h3>\n

Recently, Kerala’s Finance Minister K.M. Mani was found embroiled in the bar bribery case. The case is critical to the ruling alliance’s fortunes in the upcoming Assembly elections. It also brings to the fore the pressures within Congress party to reconsider its policy curbing the sale and consumption of liquor in the state to prevent youngsters from drinking and destroying their lives.<\/p>\n

Violence against women is also a serious issue in Kerala, especially in its rural areas. In spite of doing well in all social indicators, Kerala’s society suffers from a patriarchal mindset. Dowry and casteism are serious social evils. The state also has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. The suicide rate is higher among adolescents and families.<\/p>\n

Candidates in the Fray<\/h3>\n

The Congress party, which is the lead member of the ruling UDF alliance in Kerala, is finalising its list of candidates for the coming Assembly polls. Chief minister of Kerala and chairman of the ruling Front, Oommen Chandy said that the list of UDF candidates will be announced by the first week of April.<\/p>\n

The BJP has decided to field senior leaders of the party. It has\u00a0declared candidates for 22 of the total 140 constituencies. BJP state chief Kummanam Rajasekharan is going to\u00a0make his electoral debut from Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram. Former Union minister O. Rajagopal will contest from Nemom constituency of Thiruvananthapuram district.<\/p>\n

The CPI(M) plans\u00a0to field at least one woman candidate in every district this time. The onus is on other LDF allies to do the same in order to increase their female representation in the elections.<\/p>\n

Opinion Polls<\/h3>\n

An\u00a0opinion poll conducted by C-voter has indicated that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) may clinch power in the coming\u00a0Kerala assembly elections. Ruling party\u00a0UDF is set to be ousted from power as it is projected\u00a0to win 49 seats only. The LDF is likely to make a comeback by winning 89 seats in the 140-member Assembly. There\u2019s a minor\u00a0chance of the BJP-led front winning one seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
LDF<\/td>\n89<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
UDF<\/td>\n49<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BJP-led front<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Election Dates<\/b><\/p>\n

Elections will be held in a single\u00a0phase on May 16.<\/p>\n

Kerala\u00a0Assembly Election Results 2011<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Kerala<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Party Name<\/th>\nSeats<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Communist Party of Indian (Marxist) (CPM)<\/td>\n45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Indian National Congress (INC)<\/td>\n38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Muslim League Kerala State Committee (MUL)<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Communist Party of India (CPI)<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kerala Congress (M) (KCM)<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S)<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Socialist Janta (Democratic) (SJD)<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Independent (IND)<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kerala Congress (Jacob) (KEC)(J)<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kerala Congress (B) KEC(B)<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kerala Revolutionary Socialist Party(Baby John) (KRSP)<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total<\/td>\n140<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Kerala Assembly Elections in May 2016
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