Kerala polls: Nemom set for high-stakes ‘real’ triangular battle as BJP eyes comeback
Thiruvananthapuram: Battle lines have been firmly drawn in what is shaping up to be one of the most prestigious contests in Kerala’s April 9 Assembly elections – the Nemom Assembly constituency in the state capital.
Nemom holds a unique place in Kerala’s political landscape as the only constituency ever won by the BJP.
The party broke new ground here in 2016 when veteran leader O. Rajagopal defeated CPI-M’s V. Sivankutty.
However, the seat slipped from its grasp in 2021 when Sivankutty staged a comeback, aided significantly by the Congress fielding senior leader K. Muraleedharan, whose presence split the anti-Left vote.
This time, the BJP has moved early and aggressively, with its state President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar announcing his candidature from Nemom well ahead of the official list.
Exuding confidence, Chandrasekhar has even asserted that he will be among the BJP legislators in the next Assembly, underlining the party’s determination to reclaim its lone Kerala foothold.
For the CPI-M, sitting MLA and State Education Minister Sivankutty remains the central figure.
Despite reported health concerns, he has already hit the campaign trail, projecting himself as a leader who has “double-locked” the constituency against rivals.
The Congress, meanwhile, appears set to inject fresh energy into the contest with the emergence of K.S. Sabarinathan, who has begun campaigning even before formal confirmation of his candidature.
The son of former Speaker G. Karthikeyan, Sabarinathan, entered politics under tragic circumstances following his father’s sudden demise in 2014.
He went on to win the Aruvikkara bypoll and retained the seat in 2016 before losing in 2021.
Electoral data from Nemom underscores its volatile nature.
In 2016, Rajagopal secured victory with 67,813 votes, while Sivankutty polled 59,142, and the Congress-led UDF trailed far behind with just around 13,000 votes.
By 2021, the dynamics shifted dramatically. Sivankutty won with 55,837 votes, edging past BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan, while Muraleedharan’s 36,524 votes reshaped the contest.
The BJP is also drawing confidence from the 2024 Lok Sabha election trends, pointing out that Chandrasekhar led in the Nemom segment while contesting against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
With three formidable contenders and shifting vote equations, Nemom is poised to become the epicentre of Kerala’s electoral battle, where prestige, perception, and political momentum are all at stake.