Nail-Biting Victory for Kerala Finance Minister in Tough Assembly Battle

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal narrowly defeated Aisha Potty in Kottarakkara during the April 9 state assembly polls. While Potty had previously secured large victories, Balagopal won by a slim margin of 1,012 votes. He remains one of the few CPI(M) ministers to survive the UDF challenge.

In a thrilling conclusion to the April 9 state assembly polls, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal secured a narrow win in the Kottarakkara constituency. Facing a strong challenge from Aisha Potty, a former CPI(M) leader who joined Congress this year, Balagopal managed to hold his seat with a slim margin.

Balagopal accumulated 63,926 votes, beating Potty by just 1,012 votes. Potty, a dominant force in the constituency with past wins in 2006, 2011, and 2016 as a CPI(M) candidate, had previously secured sizable victories. In 2016, for example, she garnered 83,443 votes, outpacing competitors by over 40,000.

Although Potty was a formidable opponent, Balagopal proved his mettle in the constituency. He is, aside from state PWD and Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, the only CPI(M) minister to withstand the UDF wave in the assembly polls.