KOCHI, April 28 -- The high-decibel campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Kerala turned out to be a damp squib as the State registered 71.16 per cent polling in the 20 constituencies which is almost seven per cent less than what was recorded in the 2019 polls. Though both the CPI (M) and the Congress fronts were harping on secularism, pluralism, democracy and Constitution, the electorate seemed to be least interested in these elements.

But both the fronts continued to exude their confidence and claimed that they would make a clean sweep of all the 20 seats even as the UDF expressed concern over the polling percentage. The BJP-led NDA is the only front which did not bother about the prospects of the candidates fielded by it because ...