The Palakkad Assembly constituency is set for a high-profile contest as Sobha Surendran of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces actor Ramesh Pisharody of the Indian National Congress, while NMR Razak enters the fray as an Independent backed by the Left. With the BJP aiming to return to the Kerala Legislative Assembly after losing its lone seat in Nemom in 2021, the spotlight is on whether Surendran can convert the party's steady rise in vote share into a victory in this traditionally bipolar seat, where the United Democratic Front and Left Democratic Front have alternated power. Notably, Palakkad has also become one of the few Kerala constituencies where the BJP has routinely placed second in previous assembly elections, losing frequently by slim margins.
Key candidates
Palakkad Assembly Constituency has witnessed keen political contests over the years, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being the major contenders. The key candidates for the Palakkad seat are Congress candidate Ramesh Pisharody, BJP Sobha Surendran, and Independent candidate NMR Razak, among others.
Palakkad Assembly constituency
The Palakkad Assembly constituency is one of the 140 constituencies in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. It is constituency number 56 of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The constituency is a general seat and not reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Palakkad is a key legislative assembly constituency in Kerala that comes under the Palakkad district.
V K Sreekandan of the INC currently represents the Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency, which includes the Palakkad Assembly segment.
Palakkad Constituency Demographic Profile
As per data from the Election Commission, there were 1,88,293 voters in the Palakkad constituency during the 2021 Assembly Elections. Out of this, 91,557 were male voters in Palakkad, and 96,733 were female voters. There were three voters who belonged to the third gender. 3,235 postal votes were cast in this constituency. The number of service voters in Palakkad in 2021 was 255 (234 men and 21 women).
In 2016, the total number of voters in the Palakkad constituency was 1,77,999. Out of this, 86,316 were male, and 91,683 were female voters. There were no voters who belonged to the third gender. 748 postal votes were cast in the constituency. The number of service voters in Palakkad in 2016 was 359 (264 men and 95 women).
What happened in the 2021 and 2016 Assembly Elections?
In the 2021 Kerala Assembly Elections, Congress candidate Shafi Parambil won the Palakkad seat with a margin of 3,859 votes (2.72%). He received 54,079 votes with a vote share of 38.06%. He defeated BJP candidate E Sreedharan, who got 50,220 votes with a vote share of 35.34%. CPI(M) candidate Adv CP Promod stood third with 36,433 votes (25.64%).
In the 2016 Kerala Assembly Elections, Congress candidate Shafi Parambil won the Palakkad seat with a margin of 17,483 votes (12.69%). He received 57,559 votes with a vote share of 41.77%. BJP candidate Sobha Surendran got 40,076 votes (29.08%) and was the runner-up. CPM candidate NN Krishnadas stood third with 38,675 votes (28.07%).
