Thiruvananthapuram,26 March (HS):The electoral landscape in Kerala is set to become clearer today as the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for the Assembly elections ends at 3 pm. Once the window closes, the Election Commission will publish the final list of candidates, marking the beginning of the decisive phase of the campaign.
With only 12 days left for public campaigning, political parties and candidates are engaged in intense last-minute efforts to fine-tune their electoral strategies. A significant focus remains on persuading dummy candidates and rebels to withdraw from the fray to avoid vote-splitting and ensure a more consolidated contest in key constituencies.
The scrutiny of nomination papers was completed on Wednesday evening, following which 985 candidates are currently in the fray across the state. This represents an increase of 28 candidates compared to the 2021 Assembly elections, which had a total of 957 contestants.
A total of 2,125 nomination papers were filed this time, out of which 1,757 were accepted during scrutiny. Meanwhile, 357 nominations were rejected, and 11 candidates had already withdrawn their papers ahead of the final day.
District-wise figures show that Thiruvananthapuram leads with 115 candidates, the highest in the state. Malappuram and Kozhikode follow with 112 candidates each, while Ernakulam has 93 candidates and Kannur 88. Thrissur and Palakkad have 83 candidates each, and Kottayam has 62.
In other districts, Kollam has 68 candidates, Alappuzha 53, Kasaragod 37, Idukki 32, Pathanamthitta 25, and Wayanad the lowest at 22 candidates.
At the constituency level, Koduvally has the highest number of contestants at 17, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 16 and Manjeshwar with 14. In contrast, Mananthavady and Nattika constituencies have the least number of candidates, with just three contestants each.
As the 3 pm deadline approaches, all eyes are on the final withdrawals that could influence the dynamics of several closely fought constituencies. The final list of candidates will set the stage for an intense and closely watched electoral battle in the days ahead.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
