Rahul Mamkootathil, V T Balram top contenders for Palakkad bypoll
KOCHI: With by-elections for the Chelakkara and Palakkad assembly seats imminent following the election of their respective MLAs to the Lok Sabha, discussions to identify potential candidates have begun in Congress circles.
Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan, the MLA from Chelakkara, was elected as MP from the Alathur Lok Sabha constituency, while Shafi Parambil, the Congress MLA from Palakkad, won the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat.
For the Palakkad seat, names being considered include Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil, KPCC vice-president V T Balram, Digital Media convener Dr P Sarin, and DCC president A Thankappan. In Chelakkara, former MP Remya Haridas, who lost to Radhakrishnan in Alathur, is the leading contender. However, internal issues in the party could complicate her candidacy.
In the 2021 Assembly election, Palakkad saw a tightly contested race, with Metro Man E Sreedharan of the BJP finishing a close second. However, Shafi Parambil won by a narrow margin of 3,859 votes. The upcoming by-election in Palakkad presents a significant opportunity for the BJP to gain a foothold in the Kerala Assembly, especially given its recent Lok Sabha performance in the state. Currently, the BJP has no representation in the Kerala Assembly.
“A strong candidate will be fielded in Palakkad and the momentum gained in the Lok Sabha polls must be maintained. Rahul Mamkootathil, who succeeded Shafi Parambil as Youth Congress president, is seen as a promising young candidate. V T Balram, Sarin, and A Thankappan are prominent leaders from the district,” said a Congress leader adding that talks in this regard have not commenced yet.
In the Lok Sabha elections, UDF candidate V K Sreekantan received a majority of 9,707 votes in the Palakkad Assembly segment. “There were internal issues that contributed to Remya’s defeat in Alathur,” stated the Congress leader, “The Palakkad DCC has already expressed its discontent, claiming her style of functioning led to the loss, rather than blaming the party leadership. Meanwhile, the Thrissur DCC is also facing issues following the defeat of senior leader K Muraleedharan. Despite her loss in the Lok Sabha polls, Remya remains a strong candidate in Chelakkara due to her familiarity with the constituency as a former MP.” However, the LDF maintains a stronghold in Chelakkara, having won the seat with a majority of 39,400 votes. In the Lok Sabha polls, Radhakrishnan secured a majority of 5,173 votes in the Chelakkara Assembly segment.
In the 2024 LS elections, the CPM fielded four sitting MLAs, including Minister K Radhakrishnan, while the Congress fielded only one legislator, Shafi Parambil, who has been representing the Palakkad Assembly seat since 2011. The other three sitting MLAs fielded by the CPM—K K Shailaja, M Mukesh, and V Joy—did not win their respective parliamentary seats.
Besides, if Rahul Gandhi decides to retain the Rae Bareli seat, Kerala could see another by-election in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
