Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 11 (IANS): State CPI-M secretary M. V. Govindan on Monday said that AICC General Secretary K. C. Venugopal, who is the Congress candidate from Alappuzha, will lose.

“For 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it was only Alappuzha which the CPI-M won and this time too, our candidate and sitting member A. M. Ariff will win. Venugopal will lose,” said Govindan.

Venugopal was a surprise candidate to contest from Alappuzha this time as he has got two more years for his Upper House term to end. He was elected from Rajasthan.

Venugopal, while being a legislator from the Alappuzha assembly constituency, was asked to contest his debut Lok Sabha election in 2009, which he won and retained his seat after 2014 polls. But, he opted out in 2019.

At the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the CPI-M assembly legislator Ariff (Aroor constituency in Alappuzha district) defeated Congress leader Shanimol Usman.

In 2019, the Congress-led UDF won 19 out of the 20 seats in the state.