For the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency turned out to be a face-saver as it slumped to a humiliating rout in the 2019 general election, losing 19 out of the 20 seats in the State.
Five years on, while the LDF is aiming to retain the seat through incumbent A.M. Ariff, MP, of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], the Congress party’s decision to field a heavyweight in the form of All India Congress Committee general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, MP, as the UDF candidate from Alappuzha has given an altogether new dimension to the contest and put the parliamentary segment in the national limelight. The NDA roping in firebrand BJP leader Shobha Surendran makes the fight even more interesting.