Polling Stations & Electoral Access
The constituency features over 200 polling stations, ensuring wide geographic coverage across
urban and rural wards. Notable booths include:
Aided LPS Attassery (North & South wings)
Karimpuzha HSS & Mappila LP School, Thottara (multiple wings)
Pombra U.P. Schools, Sreekrishnapuram Higher Secondary School, and LP/UP schools in
Elampullassery, Vakadapuram, Kalluvazhi, and Mangalamkunnu
These venues offer voters accessible infrastructure from town to hinterland.
Demographics & Terrain
Ottapalam town had a population of ~53,790 (2011), with a high literacy rate (~91%) and a healthy
sex ratio of 1,121 females per 1,000 males. The constituency combines the urbanizing town with
agrarian villages rooted in Valluvanad culture. The area is characterized by river tributaries,
agricultural fields, and a legacy as one of Kerala’s major rail junctions.
Economic & Livelihood Profile
Agriculture & Plantation Crops: Paddy cultivation, coconut groves, banana, and spices
remain core agricultural activities in Kadampazhipuram, Pookkottukavu, and LakkidiPerur.
Remittances (NRIs): Gulf migration is a stable income vector for many households, enabling
middle-income living across urban and rural zones. Local Reddit users note how untracked
NRI incomes contribute to visible prosperity in the region.
Trade & Railway Services: As a major railway junction, Ottapalam supports logistics, hotels,
retail shops, and vendor services near the station.
Public Services & Education: Institutions like Sreekrishnapuram Govt. Engineering College
and municipal offices provide steady employment.
No coastal or marine fishing economy due to inland geography.
Economic Strata
Most residents fall into the middle-income bracket, supported by agriculture, remittances, and
trade. A smaller segment—landowners, railway employees, and local professionals—are in the
higher-income tier. Some landless laborers and smallholder farmers remain below the poverty line,
though high literacy and welfare programs mitigate deeper hardship.
Recent Development Activities
Polling infrastructure improvements: With expansion to over 200 booths in 2021, voter
access across wards—from urban Ottapalam to rural panchayats—has improved
significantly.
Railway modernization: Ottapalam station, renovated in early 2021, hosts murals
celebrating local culture and heritage, reinforcing civic pride and tourism appeal.
Connectivity enhancements: The Palakkad–Shoranur highway and local roads have seen
upgrades, easing access to neighboring towns.
Flood mitigation efforts: Local residents have recently raised environmental concerns over
waterlogging in low-lying wards, prompting calls for drainage improvement and civic action.
Ottapalam Assembly Constituency offers a blend of agrarian resilience, railway-centered commerce,
and evolving civic infrastructure. Anchored by remittance earnings and river-based agriculture, with
a predominantly middle-class demographic, Ottapalam is steadily progressing toward inclusive
development—enriched by cultural identity, improved voter access, and infrastructural upgrades.
