Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha elections 2024: Voting date, results, candidates, main parties and schedule

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Kanniyakumari which previously was a Congress-DMK ruled state, sees a rise in BJP influence

The southern most Lok Sabha constituency in the country, Kanniyakumari, is one of Tamil Nadu’s 39 parliamentary seats and comprises six legislative assembly segments: Kanyakumari, Nagercoil, Colachel, Padmanabhapuram, Vilavancode, and Killiyoor.

Historically, Kanniyakumari has been a stronghold of the Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). However, the BJP has gained traction in recent years, leading to a shift in the political landscape.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress’s H Vasanthakumar, a prominent local leader and former Member of Parliament, emerged victorious in Kanniyakumari, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) P Radhakrishnan. The BJP was in alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for this election.

In 2014, Radhakrishnan of the BJP won the seat, marking a departure from the Congress-DMK dominance.

Kanyakumari has been BJP’s best performance so far in Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. It has maintained a steady vote share there irrespective of whether it was or wasn’t in an alliance with AIADMK or even other local allies.

This year, the contest is expected to be a three-way battle between Vijay Vasanth of the Congress, Pon Radhakrishnan of the BJP, and Nazerath Pasilian of the AIADMK, which split from the BJP last September.

Vijay Vasanth, the current Member of Parliament, won the bypolls after the passing of his father H Vasanthakumar in August 2020.

The constituency's demographics, with a significant minority and fishing community population, play a crucial role in determining the outcome. The BJP has garnered support among these communities over time. Both Vasanth and Radhakrishnan are Hindus belonging to the Nadar community that is dominant in Kanyakumari.

While Vasanth is expected to receive the support of minority Christians who make up 42% (to be confirmed) in the constituency and Muslims about 3.4%, Radhakrishnan finds favour among the remaining Hindu population.
The Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituency is scheduled to vote on April 19, with results expected on June 4.