With the Kerala elections just around the corner, the state will elect its members to the Legislative Assembly in 25 days.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that Kerala will go to the polls in a single phase on April 9. The announcement that the Assembly elections will be held in such a short time has come as a surprise. To be precise, Kerala will go to polls in just 25 days.
The ruling CPM-led LDF is relieved that it has completed the candidate selection process. The CPM and CPI released their candidate lists on Sunday. The BJP-led NDA, which has announced a strong presence, will release its list on Monday. However, selecting candidates appears to be a tough task for the UDF, as some Congress MPs are also keen to contest the Assembly polls.
As preparations for the Kerala Assembly elections gather pace, political fronts in the state have only three weeks to campaign. After spending about a week announcing candidates and preparing for the campaign, they will have just two weeks for active campaigning. A notable feature of this year’s election is that the fronts are expected to move quickly into direct campaigning, including extensive house visits.
The polls have been scheduled for the second week of April, taking into account the Vishu and Easter celebrations. The election also comes as the term of the current LDF government ends on May 23.
With the West Asia conflict and developments at the international level taking centre stage in political discussions, the outcome of this election could also have implications for national politics. Alongside the fierce contest between the LDF and the UDF, the NDA is also expected to put up a strong presence this time.