Congress candidate V T Balram has emerged victorious in the Thrithala assembly constituency in Kerala, securing 76,427 votes. His closest rival, CPM's M B Rajesh, received 68,042 votes, resulting in a margin of 8,385 votes. The election results were announced on Wednesday.
Candidate Profile
V T Balram, aged 47, holds a postgraduate degree. He successfully reclaimed the seat for the Congress party, overcoming the challenge posed by the sitting CPM member.
Constituency Overview
Thrithala, located on the border of Palakkad and Malappuram districts, is the 49th of Kerala's 140 legislative assembly seats. It falls under the Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency has over 200,000 voters, with a balanced mix of Hindu and Muslim communities. Voter turnout consistently exceeds 77 percent. The area includes Thrithala grama panchayat and rural regions along river belts in northern Kerala.
Electoral History
The seat has witnessed a fierce rivalry between the UDF and LDF, diverging from the traditional IUML dominance. In the 2021 Kerala elections, CPM's M B Rajesh won with 69,814 votes (45.84 percent), defeating INC's V T Balram, who received 66,798 votes (43.86 percent), by a narrow margin of 3,016 votes. The turnout was 77.03 percent. In 2016, Balram won with 66,505 votes (47.16 percent), defeating CPM's Subaida Ishac, who garnered 55,958 votes (39.68 percent), by 10,547 votes. The electorate then was approximately 190,000 voters.
Political Dynamics
Since the 1970s, Thrithala has seen alternating wins between the UDF and LDF, driven by agrarian issues and minority outreach. Welfare schemes and flood mitigation are expected to be key factors in future elections. The constituency remains a swing seat, crucial for the broader electoral calculus in the Ponnani region.
