RajMohan Unnithan: The Sitting MP From Kasaragod Is Vying For Another Term (Photo on Facebook Rajmohan Unnithan)Rajmohan Unnithan, sitting MP from Kasaragod has been given ticket by Congress from Kerala’s Kasaragod for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress included his name in its first list of candidates comprised of many veteran leaders from the state.
The Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency has been a fortress of the Community Party Of India (Marxist). During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress’ Rajmohan Unnithan wrested the seat after 35 years of CPM representation. The Congress candidate had swept the traditional vote banks of the left party to lead his foray into Lok Sabha. Notably, the BJP is not a major player in the constituency and the party lost the previous general election, pushing it to a distant third.
Unnithan, a Malayalam actor and politician became the spokesperson of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in 2018 and was given his electoral first ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He secured his debut emerging victorious with a margin of more than 40,000 votes against the CPM’s KP Satheesh Chandran.
The constituency comprises seven assembly segments and five out of the total seven are currently represented by the left party. The Indian Union Muslim League, the ally of the Congress party has been representing the rest of the two seats.
Vocal in channel debates, Unnithan is often found attacking the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. After landing in parliament, he participated in 52 debates and posed 208 questions. He has also registered 86 percentage of attendance in the Lok Sabha across different sessions.
In 2023, Mr Unnithan sparked controversy with a remark that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be shot dead without trial. He was referring to the aggressive Israeli offensive in Gaza, accusing the prime minister of Israel of violating the Geneva Convention and human rights violations. The state BJP chief K Surendran had reacted to the Congress MP calling it a reckless, inflammatory speech. He was also branded as a Hamas supporter by several right-wing Hindutva groups.
Expressing confidence for his second nomination, Mr Unnithan last month said that setting up AIIMS and addressing healthcare challenges are his priorities in the coming years. However, the constituency is expected to witness a fierce electoral battle as the Congress candidate seeks re-election. The CPM has fielded its veteran leader M. V Balakrishnan who is confident of reclaiming the seat from Congress.