Thrikkakara sees drop in key fronts’ vote share since 2011United and Left fronts expecting a share of Twenty20’s votes

G. Krishnakumar KOCHI

The vote share of the key fronts has shown a declining trend in the Thrikkakara Assembly constituency since 2011, according to an analysis of the electoral data.

Thrikkkara has been a fort of the United Democratic Front since the constituency went to the polls for the first time in 2011.

However, the vote share of the Congress party has shown a declining trend over the last three elections. In 2011, Benny Behanan, who won with a margin of over 22,406 votes in 2011, had secured a vote share of 55.88%. He won 65,884 votes against the Left candidate M.E. Hassainar, who had bagged 43,448 votes.

The polling percentage in 2011 was 73.76.

In 2016, P.T. Thomas won the race after defeating Sebastian Paul of the Left by a margin of 11,996 votes. However, the vote share of the United front dropped to 45.42% from the 55.88% won in 2011. Mr. Thomas won 61,451 votes. The polling percentage in 2016 was 74.71.

Third win

The UDF retained the constituency for the third consecutive time when Mr. Thomas won the battle against the Left candidate Dr. J. Jacob by a margin of 14,329 votes. Though he improved his margin compared to 2016, the vote share dipped to 43.82% from the 45.42% in 2016.

The situation was no different for the Left front as its vote share showed a marginal dip in 2016 compared to 2011.

Mr. Hassainar’s vote share was 36.87% in 2011 while the corresponding figure in 2016 was 36.55%.

The party’s vote share dropped to 33.32% in 2021 from 36.55% won in 2016. The polling percentage in 2021 was 70.39.

Bharatiya Janata Party, which could not make any impact on the outcome of the election in 2011, improved its vote share considerably in 2016.

From 5.04% vote share in 2011, it went up to 15.7% in 2016 when the party candidate S.Saji won 21,247 votes. But the party’s vote share dropped to 11.34% in 2021.

Twenty20, which tested its electoral fortunes in 2021 by fielding its candidate, won 10.18% vote share.

The party candidate Terry Thomas secured 13,897 votes. The United and Left fronts are expecting a slice of the pie of Twenty20’s vote share in 2021 as it may turn crucial in the event of a close fight.

NOTA share marginal

The ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) share has been marginal in the elections held in 2016 and 2021.

In the 2016 poll, 1,275 (0.94%) voters pressed the NOTA button in the electronic voting machine while the corresponding figure in 2021 was 695.

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