Thiruvananthapuram, March 19 (NationPress) The stage is set for what promises to be a fiercely contested battle in Kerala’s April 9 Assembly elections, particularly in the Nemom Assembly constituency located in the state capital.

Nemom is significant in Kerala’s political arena as it is the only constituency that the BJP has ever claimed as its own.

The party made history here in 2016 when the veteran politician O. Rajagopal triumphed over CPI-M’s V. Sivankutty.

However, in 2021, the BJP lost its grip on the seat as Sivankutty made a strong comeback, significantly aided by the presence of senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, whose candidacy fragmented the anti-Left vote.

This time, the BJP is taking proactive measures, with its state President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar declaring his intention to run from Nemom well in advance of the official candidate announcement.

Chandrasekhar has expressed confidence in his campaign, asserting that he will be among the BJP representatives in the next Assembly, showcasing the party’s resolve to regain its lone foothold in Kerala.

For the CPI-M, the current MLA and State Education Minister, Sivankutty, is the focal point.

Despite health concerns, he has initiated his campaign, emphasizing his commitment to fortifying the constituency against his opponents.

Conversely, the Congress is gearing up for a more vigorous challenge with the rise of K.S. Sabarinathan, who has started campaigning prior to his official nomination.

Sabarinathan, the son of late former Speaker G. Karthikeyan, entered the political realm under tragic circumstances following his father's unexpected death in 2014.

He successfully won the Aruvikkara by-election and retained the seat in 2016 before facing defeat in 2021.

Electoral statistics from Nemom highlight its unpredictable nature.

In 2016, Rajagopal achieved victory with 67,813 votes, whereas Sivankutty garnered 59,142, and the Congress-led UDF trailed significantly with approximately 13,000 votes.

The 2021 elections saw a dramatic shift; Sivankutty won with 55,837 votes, narrowly surpassing BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan, while Muraleedharan's 36,524 votes altered the electoral landscape.

The BJP is also buoyed by trends from the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, noting that Chandrasekhar led in the Nemom segment against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

With three strong candidates and evolving voting dynamics, Nemom is set to become the focal point of Kerala’s electoral battleground, where prestige, public perception, and political momentum are all critically at stake.