<p>As Kerala heads to the polling booth on Tuesday, a tight triangular fight is expected in at least a dozen constituencies.</p>.<p>The emergence of BJP as a decisive force over the years has cast a shadow over the usual trend of the LDF and its alternate, the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.</p>.<p><strong>Manjeshwar</strong></p>.<p>Having lost by just 89 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections, BJP state president K Surendran is contesting from Manjeshwar in Kasargod. IUML is trying to retain the seat by fielding local native A K M Ashraf. BJP camps are concerned over chances for counter-consolidation of the minority communities in favour of Ashraf as SDPI, the political arm of Popular Front of India, already announced its support to IUML. But BJP is hopeful of a split of the anti-BJP votes among the UDF and the LDF. CPM fielded former chairman of the Kanhangad municipality V V Rameshan.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/after-unparalleled-electioneering-kerala-set-for-assembly-polls-on-tuesday-970565.html" target="_blank">Read | After unparalleled electioneering, Kerala set for Assembly polls on Tuesday</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Nemom</strong></p>.<p>BJP's maiden and lone sitting seat in Kerala, Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, is witnessing a tight triangular fight this time with Congress fielding a popular candidate K Muraleedharan, who is a sitting Lok Sabha MP and son of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran. In the last election, the UDF had allotted the seat to coalition partner JD(U) which had performed badly. This triggered allegations of a BJP-Congress nexus leading to BJP opening its account in the Kerala Assembly with the victory of O Rajagopal. This time BJP fielded former state president and former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, while CPM is retaining local leader V Sivankutty.</p>.<p><strong>Palakkad</strong></p>.<p>BJP's trump card in this election is 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan. The saffron party hopes that the professional competency and clean image of Sreedharan may not only help the party in Palakkad constituency where it was runner-up last time but would also help the party get the support of youngsters and professionals across the state. However, local popularity of sitting Congress MLA Shafi Parambil, who is eyeing a hat-trick victory, is a cause for concern for the saffron party.</p>.<p><strong>Konni</strong></p>.<p>BJP state president K Surendran is also contesting from Konni in Pathanamthitta hoping to take advantage of the Sabarimala issue wherein he was leading the stirs. However, Surendran finished in third place in the 2019 Assembly bypolls and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the district where the temple is located. Congress, which lost its longtime sitting seat in the bypolls, is trying to regain the seat by fielding local leader Robin Petre in the Christian-dominated constituency.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tight-vigil-against-duplicate-voters-in-kerala-polling-970656.html" target="_blank">Read | Tight vigil against duplicate voters in Kerala polling</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Kazhakkoottam</strong></p>.<p>BJP's firebrand women leader Shobha Surendran is giving a tight fight to CPM leader and Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran in the constituency in Thiruvananthapuram by mainly raising the Sabarimala issue. By fielding World Health Organisation's (WHO) former technical officer and known public health expert Dr. S S Lal, Congress hopes to tap the votes of professionals in the constituency in which Thiruvananthapuram Technopark is situated.</p>.<p><strong>Vattiyoorkavu</strong></p>.<p>Being one of the seven seats in Kerala where BJP came second in the 2016 election, the saffron party has high hopes at Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram city. BJP fielded party district president V V Rajesh, while Congress fielded young woman Veena Nair who had unsuccessfully contested in the 2015 local body polls. But CPM's sitting MLA V K Prasanth, who is a former Mayor, enjoys much popularity and is widely referred to as 'MLA bro'.</p>.<p><strong>Thiruvananthapuram</strong></p>.<p>While the contest in Thiruvananthapuram constituency was initially expected to be between Congress's sitting MLA V S Sivakumar and LDF's Antony Raju, BJP's new entrant actor Krishnakumar is receiving much acceptance in the constituency. This may be due to his popularity as a television serial star. Moreover, the BJP performed well in the region in the recent local body polls.</p>.<p><strong>Malampuzha and Chathannoor</strong></p>.<p>Malampuzha in Palakkad and Chathannoor in Kollam are also in BJP's list of possible victories as they came second in both these seats in 2016, mainly due to the high Hindu population in the regions. Veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan, who is now 97 and keeping off from the electoral politics owing to weak health, is the sitting MLA of Malampuzha for the fourth consecutive term.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/ldf-vs-udf-vs-bjp-fight-for-kerala-crown-all-set-for-tuesday-970573.html" target="_blank">Also Read | LDF vs UDF vs BJP: Fight for Kerala crown all set for Tuesday</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Thrissur</strong></p>.<p>Thrissur in central Kerala may also witness a tight fight as Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of K Karunakaran and BJP's Suresh Gopi try to wrest CPI's sitting seat.</p>.<p><strong>Kunnathunad</strong></p>.<p>This constituency in the suburbs of Kochi is being keenly watched as a corporate-backed forum is contesting as an alternative to the mainstream political parties. Twenty20, a forum initiated by the Kitex Garments group as part of their corporate social responsibility, had won the Kizhakambalam ward in 2015 and won four more wards in the region in the 2020 local body election by highlighting welfare and development. Twenty20 has fielded candidates in eight seats, of which it has high chances in Kunnathunad, posing a tight fight to Congress's sitting MLA V P Sajeendran and CPM P V Sreenijin.</p>
<p>As Kerala heads to the polling booth on Tuesday, a tight triangular fight is expected in at least a dozen constituencies.</p>.<p>The emergence of BJP as a decisive force over the years has cast a shadow over the usual trend of the LDF and its alternate, the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.</p>.<p><strong>Manjeshwar</strong></p>.<p>Having lost by just 89 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections, BJP state president K Surendran is contesting from Manjeshwar in Kasargod. IUML is trying to retain the seat by fielding local native A K M Ashraf. BJP camps are concerned over chances for counter-consolidation of the minority communities in favour of Ashraf as SDPI, the political arm of Popular Front of India, already announced its support to IUML. But BJP is hopeful of a split of the anti-BJP votes among the UDF and the LDF. CPM fielded former chairman of the Kanhangad municipality V V Rameshan.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/after-unparalleled-electioneering-kerala-set-for-assembly-polls-on-tuesday-970565.html" target="_blank">Read | After unparalleled electioneering, Kerala set for Assembly polls on Tuesday</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Nemom</strong></p>.<p>BJP's maiden and lone sitting seat in Kerala, Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, is witnessing a tight triangular fight this time with Congress fielding a popular candidate K Muraleedharan, who is a sitting Lok Sabha MP and son of former Chief Minister K Karunakaran. In the last election, the UDF had allotted the seat to coalition partner JD(U) which had performed badly. This triggered allegations of a BJP-Congress nexus leading to BJP opening its account in the Kerala Assembly with the victory of O Rajagopal. This time BJP fielded former state president and former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, while CPM is retaining local leader V Sivankutty.</p>.<p><strong>Palakkad</strong></p>.<p>BJP's trump card in this election is 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan. The saffron party hopes that the professional competency and clean image of Sreedharan may not only help the party in Palakkad constituency where it was runner-up last time but would also help the party get the support of youngsters and professionals across the state. However, local popularity of sitting Congress MLA Shafi Parambil, who is eyeing a hat-trick victory, is a cause for concern for the saffron party.</p>.<p><strong>Konni</strong></p>.<p>BJP state president K Surendran is also contesting from Konni in Pathanamthitta hoping to take advantage of the Sabarimala issue wherein he was leading the stirs. However, Surendran finished in third place in the 2019 Assembly bypolls and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the district where the temple is located. Congress, which lost its longtime sitting seat in the bypolls, is trying to regain the seat by fielding local leader Robin Petre in the Christian-dominated constituency.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tight-vigil-against-duplicate-voters-in-kerala-polling-970656.html" target="_blank">Read | Tight vigil against duplicate voters in Kerala polling</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Kazhakkoottam</strong></p>.<p>BJP's firebrand women leader Shobha Surendran is giving a tight fight to CPM leader and Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran in the constituency in Thiruvananthapuram by mainly raising the Sabarimala issue. By fielding World Health Organisation's (WHO) former technical officer and known public health expert Dr. S S Lal, Congress hopes to tap the votes of professionals in the constituency in which Thiruvananthapuram Technopark is situated.</p>.<p><strong>Vattiyoorkavu</strong></p>.<p>Being one of the seven seats in Kerala where BJP came second in the 2016 election, the saffron party has high hopes at Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram city. BJP fielded party district president V V Rajesh, while Congress fielded young woman Veena Nair who had unsuccessfully contested in the 2015 local body polls. But CPM's sitting MLA V K Prasanth, who is a former Mayor, enjoys much popularity and is widely referred to as 'MLA bro'.</p>.<p><strong>Thiruvananthapuram</strong></p>.<p>While the contest in Thiruvananthapuram constituency was initially expected to be between Congress's sitting MLA V S Sivakumar and LDF's Antony Raju, BJP's new entrant actor Krishnakumar is receiving much acceptance in the constituency. This may be due to his popularity as a television serial star. Moreover, the BJP performed well in the region in the recent local body polls.</p>.<p><strong>Malampuzha and Chathannoor</strong></p>.<p>Malampuzha in Palakkad and Chathannoor in Kollam are also in BJP's list of possible victories as they came second in both these seats in 2016, mainly due to the high Hindu population in the regions. Veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan, who is now 97 and keeping off from the electoral politics owing to weak health, is the sitting MLA of Malampuzha for the fourth consecutive term.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/ldf-vs-udf-vs-bjp-fight-for-kerala-crown-all-set-for-tuesday-970573.html" target="_blank">Also Read | LDF vs UDF vs BJP: Fight for Kerala crown all set for Tuesday</a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Thrissur</strong></p>.<p>Thrissur in central Kerala may also witness a tight fight as Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of K Karunakaran and BJP's Suresh Gopi try to wrest CPI's sitting seat.</p>.<p><strong>Kunnathunad</strong></p>.<p>This constituency in the suburbs of Kochi is being keenly watched as a corporate-backed forum is contesting as an alternative to the mainstream political parties. Twenty20, a forum initiated by the Kitex Garments group as part of their corporate social responsibility, had won the Kizhakambalam ward in 2015 and won four more wards in the region in the 2020 local body election by highlighting welfare and development. Twenty20 has fielded candidates in eight seats, of which it has high chances in Kunnathunad, posing a tight fight to Congress's sitting MLA V P Sajeendran and CPM P V Sreenijin.</p>