194 candidates contesting in Lok Sabha elections from Kerala; highest number of candidates in Kottayam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 10 candidates withdrew their nomination papers on Monday, the last day to withdraw nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections in the state. With this, the candidate picture for the Lok Sabha elections in the state has become clear. A total of 194 candidates will be contesting in 20 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Kottayam has the highest number of candidates, 14. Alathur has the least number of candidates. Five people are competing in Alathur.

Congress rebel Abdul Rahim of Vatakara withdrew his nomination paper today, the last day to withdraw nomination papers. Abdul Rahim was the Congress in-charge of Naripatta constituency. Manesh, who had filed as an independent candidate in the Idukki constituency, had withdrawn his paper the other day. One person each in Mavelikkara and Thrissur withdrew their papers. Meanwhile, in Mavelikkara, the two namesake candidates of the UDF candidate did not withdraw their papers. KB Sajeev, who filed as an independent, withdrew his nomination in Thrissur.

In Vatakara, LDF candidate KK Shailaja has three namesake candidates. UDF's Shafi Parambil has two namesake candidates. MK Raghavan and Elamaram Kareem in Kozhikode constituency have three namesake candidates each. Vatakara has the highest number of women candidates. Four people are competing here. However, there are no women candidates in Kannur, Malappuram, Thrissur, Kottayam and Mavelikkara constituencies.

Number of Existing Candidates:

• Thiruvananthapuram 12 (Withdrawn 1)
• Attingal 7(0)
• Kollam 12(0)
• Pathanamthitta 8(0)
• Mavelikkara 9(1)
• Alappuzha 11(0)
• Kottayam 14(0)
• Idukki 7(1)
• Ernakulam 10(0)
• Chalakudy 11(1)
• Thrissur 9(1)
• Alathur 5(0)
• Palakkad 10(1)
• Ponnani 8(0)
• Malappuram 8(2)
• Wayanad 9(1)
• Kozhikode 13(0)
• Vatakara 10(1)
• Kannur 12(0)
• Kasaragod 9(0)