Mainstream parties in Kerala, much like their counterparts nationwide, take the lion’s share of seats, especially in Lok Sabha elections. However, this trend has become more pronounced in recent times for various factors for each party, including increasing their vote share unlike in Assembly elections.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] is contesting 15 out of 20 seats, leaving four to its traditional Left partner, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and one to its fledgling constituent the Kerala Congress (M). The party seems to have two main objectives: to get more MPs to maintain its status as a national party and to become a significant force in case the INDIA bloc comes to power, reminiscent of its 2004 success when the party alone secured 43 seats across the country.
This time, the party has not allocated any seats to several partners, leading to discontent among other parties such as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (Secular). Even the minor party Indian National League (INL) sought a seat to no avail.
