Supriya Jha
God`s own country, Kerala will go to the polls on April 10 to elect 20 members to the Lok Sabha.
Kerala has traditionally been ruled by either Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF) or the CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The BJP, which has never ever won a single seat in the southern state, will seek to open its account by cashing in on Modi wave.
A total of 269 candidates are in fray for the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Kerala`s mainly literate electorate consists of 2,42,51,942 people, out of which 1,25,70,439 are women.
For a state where women outnumbering men, the number of women contesting elections has been abysmally low, but this time, a total of 27 women candidates are in the fray.
The battle royale in Kerala generally is a contest between UDF and LDF.
In last Lok Sabha elections 2009, the Congress-led LDF swept the polls by winning 16 seats, leaving a meagre four for the LDF; however in 2011 Assembly elections, the UDF outperformed the LDF by a very narrow margin of four.
Of late, the UDF`s image has taken a beating not just due to scams tarnishing the UPA government at centre but also because CM Oomen Chandy-led government in the state has been on the receiving end of many graft allegations, the major one being - the multi-million rupee Solar Project scam.
Kasturirangan report came as another bane for the Congress-led coalition as it proposed restricted farming along the sensitive Western Ghats, that could affect 100 hilly villages.
Though, CM Chandy took up the matter with the PM and managed to get a revised report, the CPI (M) won`t spare this chance to attack its rival.
The opposition LDF is also not without loopholes.
The image of LDF has taken a major beating with the prosecution of three CPI(M) leaders in the murder of party rebel and heavyweight leader TP Chandrasekharan.
Adding to the agonies of the CPI (M) was its top popular leader VS Achuthanandan, who voiced support for a CBI probe in Chandrasekharan`s murder on demand of the slain leader`s widow.
Also, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), which was launched by CPI(M) rebel Chandrasekharan is contesting elections in alliance with Kerala Congress and will fiel candidates on at least five seats.
Key constituency of Thiruvananthapuram will see a contest among Union minister Shashi Tharoor from Congress, BJP leader O. Rajagopal, CPI-M`s Bennet Abraham, AAP`s Ajith Joy (a former Indian Police Service).
This time, the LDF is supporting six independent candidates from the minority community for the Lok Sabha polls.
The inependent candidates include IAS officer Christy Fernandez, actor Innocent and AICC member Philipose Thomas Philipose Thomas who resigned fom Congress.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Left had chosen just one non-party candidate, who had lost heavily in the Ponnani constituency.
With UDF and LDF both equally in soup over their weaknesses, the 2014 elections might be a cliffhanger between the two coalitions which have been ruling the Malayalis.
