Thiruvananthapuram: The race for the Assembly elections enters a crucial phase today, with the deadline for withdrawal of nominations closing at 3 PM. The final list of candidates will be confirmed after this, leaving just 12 days for intense campaign activity across the state.
Candidates and political fronts are making last-minute moves to tackle the growing concern of dummy candidates, which has emerged as a significant headache in several constituencies.
Following the completion of scrutiny on Wednesday, a total of 985 candidates remain in the fray. Out of 2,125 nominations submitted, 1,757 were accepted while 357 were rejected, and 11 candidates withdrew earlier. This marks an increase of 28 candidates compared to the 2021 elections, which had 957 contestants.
District-wise, Thiruvananthapuram leads with the highest number of candidates (115), followed by Malappuram and Kozhikode (112 each). Ernakulam (93) and Kannur (88) also report high numbers, reflecting intense electoral competition.
Among constituencies, Koduvally tops the list with 17 candidates, followed by Thiruvananthapuram constituency (16) and Manjeshwaram (14). In contrast, Mananthavady and Nattika have the lowest number of candidates, with just three each.
As the countdown to polling begins, the political battle is set to intensify across Kerala.
