Thiruvananthapuram, March 21 An intriguing electoral pattern has emerged ahead of the April 9 Kerala Assembly polls, with as many as 17 constituencies set to witness repeat contests as the same winners and runners‑up from the 2021 elections face off once again.
Kerala goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators, and the principal fight is between the Left and the Congress-led UDF, with the BJP-led NDA fighting a fierce battle in around a dozen seats.
These rematches add an element of familiarity and unfinished business to an already high‑stakes electoral battle. Among the repeat contests, Kunnathur stands out as it is the only seat where all three major fronts have fielded the same candidates as last time, turning it into a rare three-cornered rematch.
Five-time legislator Kovoor Kunjumon faces relative Ullas Kovoor of the UDF, and BJP’s Raji Prasad, making it a closely watched contest. Four state ministers are also in direct replays of their 2021 duels.
In Thrithala, Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh takes on Congress leader V.T. Balram. At Irinjalakuda, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu is again up against Thomas Unniyadan.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve faces IUML’s V.E. Gafoor at Kalamassery, while at Pathanapuram, Transport Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar meets Congress’s Jyothikumar Chamakala again.
Elsewhere, contests are equally compelling.
In Chavara, RSP veteran Shibhu Baby John seeks redemption against Sujith Vijayan Pillai (Left). Manjeshwaram will see a tight rematch between IUML’s sitting MLA AKM Ashraff and BJP leader K. Surendran, who lost narrowly in 2021.
High-profile and personality-driven contests dot the map from Poonjar, where Sebastian Kulathunkal (Left) faces P. C. George ( BJP) to Aroor, where Dalima Jojo ( CPI-M) and Shanimol Usman (Congress) reprise their contest.
With narrow margins like the 333 vote win in Kuttiyadi, where sitting CPI M legislator K.P. Kunjuahammed Kutty is taking on IUML leader Parakkal Abdullah. At the last edition, the former scraped through with just 333 votes.
These repeat battles promise intense campaigns, which have already begun.
Familiar faces, unresolved rivalries, and shifting political equations ensure that while the contestants remain the same, the outcomes will be known on May 4.
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