<p>Thiruvananthapuram: As AICC general secretary K C Venugopal is one of the key contenders for <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Kerala">Kerala</a> Chief Minister post, the BJP and CPI(M) have reasons to pin hopes over a possible by-poll at Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat being represented by Venugopal.</p><p>In case Venugopal becomes the Chief Minister, he will have to vacate the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat.</p><p>It is a closely fought Lok Sabha seat between the CPI(M) and Congress and the BJP had made a 11 percent leap in vote share in the 2024 election when firebrand woman leader Sobha Surendran was in the fray. Many senior Congress leaders had also tasted defeat at Alappuzha earlier.</p><p>Hence, Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat can't be considered as a sure seat of the Congress.</p><p>Some Congress leaders and coalition partners of Congress were learnt to have informed AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken of this risk.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Public figures openly throw weight behind V D Satheesan in Chief Minister race.<p>"Considering the huge leap that the BJP made at Alappuzha in the 2024 elections, there are chances for the BJP to win in case of a by-poll to the seat," Jayaprakash, a senior journalist from Alappuzha, told DH.</p><p>BJP sources said that the victory in three assembly seats in south Kerala as well as the Thiruvananthapuram corporation have already enhanced the confidence of BJP camps that the saffron party can grow in Kerala.</p><p>Already Congress faced much criticism as the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Venugopal in 2024 after winning the Lok Sabha poll went to the BJP.</p><p>Even as winning an assembly by-poll from any strongholds of the Congress would not be a tough task for Venugopal, the infights in the Congress could affect his victory margin.<br>Another hurdle that Venugopal faces is that during the selection of candidates for the assembly polls the Congress rejected the pleas of some sitting MPs to contest citing the party norm that sitting MPs shall not contest. Hence a relaxation to Venugopal could trigger resentment among the MPs who were eager to contest the assembly polls.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: As AICC general secretary K C Venugopal is one of the key contenders for <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Kerala">Kerala</a> Chief Minister post, the BJP and CPI(M) have reasons to pin hopes over a possible by-poll at Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat being represented by Venugopal.</p><p>In case Venugopal becomes the Chief Minister, he will have to vacate the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat.</p><p>It is a closely fought Lok Sabha seat between the CPI(M) and Congress and the BJP had made a 11 percent leap in vote share in the 2024 election when firebrand woman leader Sobha Surendran was in the fray. Many senior Congress leaders had also tasted defeat at Alappuzha earlier.</p><p>Hence, Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat can't be considered as a sure seat of the Congress.</p><p>Some Congress leaders and coalition partners of Congress were learnt to have informed AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken of this risk.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Public figures openly throw weight behind V D Satheesan in Chief Minister race.<p>"Considering the huge leap that the BJP made at Alappuzha in the 2024 elections, there are chances for the BJP to win in case of a by-poll to the seat," Jayaprakash, a senior journalist from Alappuzha, told DH.</p><p>BJP sources said that the victory in three assembly seats in south Kerala as well as the Thiruvananthapuram corporation have already enhanced the confidence of BJP camps that the saffron party can grow in Kerala.</p><p>Already Congress faced much criticism as the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Venugopal in 2024 after winning the Lok Sabha poll went to the BJP.</p><p>Even as winning an assembly by-poll from any strongholds of the Congress would not be a tough task for Venugopal, the infights in the Congress could affect his victory margin.<br>Another hurdle that Venugopal faces is that during the selection of candidates for the assembly polls the Congress rejected the pleas of some sitting MPs to contest citing the party norm that sitting MPs shall not contest. Hence a relaxation to Venugopal could trigger resentment among the MPs who were eager to contest the assembly polls.</p>