What's In A Name? In Kerala Polls, 'Name Twins' Haunt Left, BJP, Congress

As campaigning intensifies for the April 9 Kerala Assembly election, several high-profile candidates are facing a familiar complication. Independent candidates with identical or similar names have entered the fray across constituencies.

In Kerala's political vocabulary, such candidates are known as 'aparanmar', or 'name twins', and parties say they can confuse voters and influence close contests.

For example, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking re-election from Dharmadam.

An independent candidate named Vijayan AM from nearby Chedichery has also filed his nomination. With two Vijayans set to appear on the EVM, workers from the Chief Minister's CPM have stepped up efforts to highlight the party's symbol in all campaigns.

Ministers face similar situations.

PA Mohammed Riyas is contesting from Beypore and faces two independents named Mohammed Riyas PC and Mohammed Riyas TT. In Kalamassery, P Rajeev faces another candidate named Rajeev.

Senior Congress leaders are also dealing with the issue.

In Haripad, Ramesh Chennithala is up against an independent candidate named Ramesh C. In Vattiyoorkavu, Congress leader K Muraleedharan faces P Muraleedharan. Sitting MLA VK Prasanth is also in the fray along with another candidate named Prasanth K.

The BJP has not escaped the trend. NDA candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar is contesting from Nemom, where an independent named GS Rajeev Kumar has filed nomination. BJP state president K Surendran is also facing a similar situation in Manjeshwaram.

The Manjeshwaram contest carries political memory. In 2016, Surendran lost the seat by just 89 votes. BJP leaders had then pointed to the presence of candidates with similar names as a factor that may have led to the defeat.

In Thiruvananthapuram (Central) CPM's CP John faces a similar situation. In 2011, John was defeated in Kunnamkulam constituency by a little over 400 votes and a candidate with similar name had secured over 800 votes. This time too there is a candidate named John.

In Nilambur, PV Anvar from the CPM-backed ruling alliance, UDF, is facing multiple candidates with similar names, including Anvar Moydeen, Anvar Ali and Anvar NM.

A particularly unusual situation has emerged in Devikulam constituency in Idukki district. The LDF candidate is A Raja, the UDF candidate is F Raja, and the BJP candidate is S Rajendran. The similarity in names across all three major fronts has drawn attention locally.

Similar developments are reported from Wayanad too. In Kalpetta, independent candidates named Siddique and Anilkumar have filed nominations in contests where candidates with the same names are already present. In Sulthan Bathery, an independent named E Balakrishnan has filed nomination, while IC Balakrishnan is a major front candidate in the constituency.