KC Venugopal, A. M. Ariff, Sobha Surendran: Who Will Take Alappuzha Constituency?

Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency is one of the major seats that has received national attention, with Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, BJP state vice president Sobha Surendran and the CPM’s sitting MP AM Ariff contesting.

Congress’s KC Venugopal has been a two-time MP from the seat. He first won the seat in 2009 and retained it in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Venugopal did not contest the 2019 general elections, and was made a Rajya Sabha MP in 2020. After becoming the national icon of the party, the former MP’s image in the constituency is believed to be enhanced, providing his with added advantage.

During the 2009 general elections, the constituency was captured by the CPM’s AM Ariff by a narrow majority. The CPM renominated the sitting MP, hoping to retain the seat for another term. A three-time former MLA from Aroor, the CPM leader enjoys considerable influence in the seat, making him one of the strongest candidates.

The BJP candidate and state vice president Sobha Surendran is one of the party’s vocal leaders, and during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, she secured 2,48,081 votes from the Attingal constituency, bolstering the party’s performance in comparison with its previous elections. She has been one of the party”s notable faces in the state. In the 2016 assembly elections, Sobha Surendran managed to push the left party to the third position, becoming the runner-up in the Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency.

However, the BJP heavyweight’s entry has provided an intense triangular fight between the three major fronts- UDF, LDF, and NDA. Congress’s national leader’s return to the coastal constituency is analysed to give a strong edge to the grand old party over the other fronts. A close aide of the Gandhi family, Venugopal’s electoral outcome will have a significant impact in his political life. Notably, CPM’s A. M. Ariff also seems to be determined to retain the seat.