The Wadakkanchery Assembly constituency has been in the news ever since actor KPAC Lalitha’s name was proposed as the Left Democratic Front candidate. The constituency witnessed poster campaigns and processions against the ‘outsider.’
As the protest started gathering momentum, the actor withdrew from the scene citing health reasons. Though Wadakkanchery has returned candidates of both the UDF and LDF to the Assembly, it has a strong UDF leaning. The Congress has triumphed here eight times and the LDF four times.
The constituency drew attention in the 2004 by-election when the then Electricity Minister K. Muraleedharan tasted defeat at the hands of newcomer A.C. Moideen of the CPI(M). Post-delimitation in 2011, the constituency comprises the newly-formed Wadakkanchery municipality and Thekkumkara, Mulangunnathukavu, Avanur, Kolazhy, Kaiparambu, Adattu, and Tholur grama panchayats.
In 2011, C.N. Balakrishnan of the Congress defeated N.R. Balan of the CPI(M) by 6,685 votes and became Minister for Cooperation. In the local body elections, the LDF won the Wadakkanchery municipality and five panchayats. The UDF could win only two panchayats. Politics and development will be the key issues this time.
