Public broadcaster Doordarshan telecast The Kerala Story, a film that seeks to tarnish the State and particularly its Muslims, in the midst of the election campaign. The telecast of the controversial film was questioned by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), but some Christian groups organised their own screenings of the movie. This was not the first sign of a dissonance between the Christian and Muslim communities of the State.
Pathanamthitta is a hotspot of these tensions. The BJP fielded Anil K. Antony, the son of Congress leader A.K. Antony, as its candidate from the constituency. The district has the lowest total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.3, the highest literacy rate (96.9%) and proportion of elderly population (18%) for the entire country. It records a large outflow of its own young population and a constant inflow of people. Between 2001 and 2011, its population fell from 12.34 lakh to 11.95 lakh.
