Kerala bypolls: Voting date for Palakkad Assembly seat shifted to November 20

Thiruvananthapuram: The by-election date for the Palakkad Assembly constituency in Kerala has been shifted from November 13 to November 20 following requests by various political parties, an official said on Monday.

However, there has been no change in the by-election date for the Wayanad Lok Sabha and the Chelakkara Assembly constituencies. Voting there will be held as per the earlier announced date - November 13.

The primary reason for this postponement is the annual 'Ratholsavam' (chariot festival) at Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple at Kalpathi, which comes under the Palakkad Assembly constituency. The festival began on November 1, and culminates with the famed 'Ratholsavam' on November 13.

Earlier, when the Election Commission of India announced the dates, reservations were submitted by various parties following which they wrote to the poll panel.

Kerala Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh, who is also overseeing the CPI-M candidate's campaign process, said that his party also had sought a date change in the date of election.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said it was the Congress that first demanded a change in the date.

"We asked for the date change as on November 13, thousands of people are expected to turn up for the festival. We welcome the change of date," he said.

Meanwhile, a person who lives near Sree Viswanatha Swamy Temple said had the change not been effected, "around 8,000 votes would not have been polled".

"We are happy that we can now take part in the election process," he said.

The Assembly by-elections at Palakkad and Chelakkara were necessitated after sitting legislators Shafi Paramabil (Congress) and K. Radhakrishnan (CPI-M), respectively, vacated the seats after winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has high hopes in Palakkad, where in the 2021 Assembly polls, its candidate 'Metro Man' E. Sreedharan gave a fright to Parambil before losing by less than 4,000 votes.

The Congress has brought in Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil, while the BJP has fielded Krishnakumar.

The CPI-M has fielded Congress turncoat P. Sarin, a medical doctor by profession.

Sarin was hopeful of getting the Congress ticket but quit the grand old party after he was not named as a nominee.