The 2014 Indian general election in Kerala was held on 7 April 2014 to elect the 20 Lok Sabha (House of the People) constituencies from the state of Kerala. The election formed part of the nationwide 2014 Indian general election, which elected the 16th Lok Sabha of India.
Background
Kerala’s 20 parliamentary constituencies are contested primarily by three political coalitions:
- United Democratic Front (UDF) – led by the Indian National Congress (INC) and including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and other regional parties.
- Left Democratic Front (LDF) – led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and including the Communist Party of India (CPI) and other left‑aligned parties.
- National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and comprising a smaller number of regional partners.
Election schedule and conduct
- Polling date: 7 April 2014 (single‑phase voting in Kerala).
- Voter turnout: 73.18 % of the 2.51 crore (25.1 million) registered electors, as reported by the Election Commission of India.
- Security and logistical arrangements were overseen by the Election Commission, with electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in all constituencies.
Results
| Party / Coalition | Seats Won | Vote Share* |
|---|---|---|
| United Democratic Front (UDF) – INC, IUML, etc. | 12 | 46.8 % |
| Left Democratic Front (LDF) – CPI(M), CPI, etc. | 8 | 45.7 % |
| National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – BJP, others | 0 | 7.5 % |
*Vote‑share figures are rounded percentages of total valid votes cast across all 20 constituencies.
The Indian National Congress, as the principal UDF party, secured twelve of Kerala’s twenty Lok Sabha seats, while the CPI(M)‑led LDF captured the remaining eight seats. The BJP, despite contesting all constituencies as the NDA’s principal partner, did not win any seats in Kerala in 2014.
Aftermath
The election outcome reinforced the dominance of the two-state‑wide coalitions (UDF and LDF) in Kerala’s parliamentary politics, with the UDF emerging as the larger bloc in the Lok Sabha representation from the state. The result also reflected Kerala’s historically high voter participation, maintaining a turnout above 70 % for the fifth consecutive general election.
References
- Election Commission of India, “Statistical Report on General Elections, 2014 to the Fourteenth Lok Sabha – Kerala”.
- Government of Kerala, Chief Electoral Officer’s Office, Voter Turnout Data, 2014.
Note: All data presented are derived from official election statistics released by the Election Commission of India.
