T’puram: Kazhakkoottam, one of the most cosmopolitan and politically dynamic assembly constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram, is witnessing a high-voltage contest, primarily between LDF and BJP. Senior CPM leader and former minister Kadakampally Surendran is seeking a third straight win while BJP has fielded former Union minister V Muraleedharan. Congress-led UDF has nominated veteran T Sarathchandra Prasad, though the alliance faces an uphill task.The constituency, housing Kerala’s flagship IT hub Technopark, has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past 25 years. Along with rapid urbanisation, Kazhakkoottam has also witnessed one of the sharpest political shifts in the state as bipolar contests involving LDF and UDF have ended and BJP steadily expanded its vote base.BJP polled only 2,499 votes in 2006, but increased its votes to 40,000-plus in 2016 and in 2021, finishing runner-up on both occasions. The party further demonstrated its growing strength by emerging first in the assembly segment in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and winning 14 out of 28 wards in the recent local body polls.LDF has retained an edge in total vote share in the civic polls, aided by its strong grassroots network and welfare-driven governance. Historically, Kazhakkoottam, formed in 1965, has elected prominent leaders like A K Antony, M V Raghavan, M M Hassan and Nabeesa Ummal. Hindus constitute a majority of voters in the constituency, but Christian and Muslim votes are also significant.Surendran’s electoral history in Kazhakkoottam dates back to 1996, when he won by a commanding 24,057 votes. In 2016, Surendran (50,079 votes, 52% vote share) made a comeback by defeating BJP’s V Muraleedharan by 7,347 votes. M A Vaheed of Congress (38,602) finished third. In the last assembly polls, BJP fielded Sobha Surendran while Congress went with public health activist Dr S S Lal. Surendran won by a massive 23,497-vote margin (51% vote share). Sobha secured 40,193 to finish second while Lal (32,995) came third.Recent voting trends indicate that BJP has successfully consolidated anti-LDF votes, pushing UDF to a distant third position. In urban and semi-urban wards, BJP now commands 30%-40% vote share while UDF’s support has dwindled to nearly 10%-15%.Kazhakkoottam’s unique demographic profile plays a decisive role. With nearly one lakh IT professionals working in Technopark as well as surrounding institutions and a growing middle class forming a sizeable percentage of the population, voter behaviour is increasingly influenced by urban issues rather than traditional political loyalties.S Harikumar, an autorickshaw driver at Kazhakkoottam Junction, says LDF has the upper hand in the constituency as MLA Surendran has carried out many developmental works. “Kazhakkoottam has changed a lot in 10 years. Good roads and flyovers have come up and I expect a third term for Surendran,” he said.Anirudh Prathap, a techie who has been living in the constituency for 15 years, says though there has been rapid urbanisation, the basic civic issues are not addressed properly. “During monsoon, there is waterlogging in many areas near Technopark Phase-III. Thettiyar River overflows, which also causes flooding in low-lying areas. These issues persist,” says Prathap. Local concerns have added a new dimension to the contest this time. Severe water scarcity in at least 12 wards has disrupted daily life, even affecting Technopark operations. Many IT professionals residing in paying guest accommodations have reportedly sought work-from-home options due to the crisis. Jeena Jacob, another techie, says water scarcity has worsened in the area where she resides and it has also not been addressed so far. While BJP is banking on aspirational urban voters and its recent electoral gains, LDF is counting on incumbency advantage and its development narrative. UDF, despite fielding an experienced candidate, struggles with organisational weakness and declining vote share.
