Palakkad By-Election: BJP’s C Krishnakumar takes early lead; eyes landslide victory

As the results of the Palakkad by-election began to unfold with the counting of postal votes on Saturday (Nov 23), BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar took an early lead. Krishnakumar is ahead by 1016 votes at 8.30 am in the postal ballot count and is observing the proceedings from the BJP district office in Palakkad, accompanied by his wife, Mini, who also serves as the chairperson of the municipal standing committee. Meanwhile, in Chelakkara, U.R. Pradeep is leading in the postal vote count by a margin of 1771 votes. C. Krishnakumar had earlier expressed confidence in reclaiming the victory he missed last time. After visiting the Pallassana Devi Temple, Krishnakumar stated that he was certain of winning this time, predicting a majority of over 5,000 votes. He added that if the anticipated wave of support materializes, the victory margin could be even larger. Meanwhile, the outcome following one of the most eventful campaign periods in Kerala's political history is crucial for all three fronts. UDF candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil is fighting to retain Palakkad, where Shafi Parambil had previously hoisted the flag of victory. On the other hand, P. Sarin, who left Congress, must prove the correctness of his political decision as the LDF candidate, aiming to make a significant statement. The LDF and CPM are aiming for a leap from third to first place in the constituency. The BJP, on the other hand, hopes to build on the progress made during the last election with Metroman E. Sreedharan and capture the seat this time with Krishnakumar. Meanwhile, the impact of Sandeep Varier's switch to Congress was a major topic of discussion in the constituency.