Kerala polls: Kazhakkoottam to see fierce triangular contest

The Left is fully confident about the Kazhakkoottam seat. The Congress, which has revived from a lull, has fielded Dr SS Lal opposite Kadakampally Surendran aiming at an overturning victory. Meanwhile, the BJP’s strength and hope are based on V Muralidharan’s vote share reaching the second position in the last Assembly election at Kazhakkoottam.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kazhakkoottam, one of the major constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram district, is to witness a tough triangular fight between the three major fronts.

The battle between Kadakampally Surendran, MLA and Devaswom Minister of Kerala, NDA candidate national leader Shobha Surendran, and UDF candidate Dr SS Lal, was the most intense in the last lap.

The Left is fully confident about the Kazhakkoottam seat. The Congress, which has revived from a lull, has fielded Dr SS Lal opposite Kadakampally Surendran aiming at an overturning victory. Meanwhile, the BJP’s strength and hope are based on V Muralidharan’s vote share reaching the second position in the last Assembly election at Kazhakkoottam.

With Shobha Surendran Putting an end to uncertainties and actively campaigning for the party, the battle has become tougher.

Kadakampally Surendran reached the Assembly in 2016 by aggregating 50079 votes from Kazhakkoottam. While BJP candidate V Muralidharan got 42732 votes, Congress trailed behind with 38602 votes for their candidate M A Wahid. With the BJP increasing their vote share, the Congress getting a lead in the Lok Sabha elections thereafter, and the Left gaining an upper hand in the civic body polls, the fight between the three fronts is Kazhakkoottam is neck to neck.

NDA candidate Shobha Surendran says, Sabarimala women entry issue will reflect in the elections. She expressed confidence that the believers would stand by her regardless of political differences on the Sabarimala issue.

Shobha Surendran alleged that Kadakampally Surendran who was the Minister and legislator from Kazhakkoottam has not even implemented a project which employs even a hundred people. Meanwhile, Kadakampally Surendran responded that the NDA candidate in the constituency has been into fake propaganda against him. Stating that the people know him, Kadakampally said, the political controversies will not be a matter of discussion during polls.

UDF’s S.S Lal talks of development during campaigns. If he wins, Lal has promised the people of Kazhakkoottam to work on developmental initiatives focussing on health care, and education.

As the public campaigns have concluded yesterday, and State is to go to the polls tomorrow, the triangular battle would now be seen on the voting machines.