Jyothikumar Chamakkala, who recently won the Pathanapuram Assembly seat in Kerala, has publicly challenged Ganesh Kumar (former Transport Minister and leader of the Kerala Congress (B)) to a televised debate. This challenge comes after Kumar accused Chamakkala of benefiting from a supposed 'deal' between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he claims led to his defeat after 25 years in office. Kumar's argument hinges on the performance of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, who received only 7,031 votes compared to the BJP's 12,398 votes in the previous election cycle. Chamakkala dismissed these allegations, suggesting that Kumar should focus on the decline in his own voter base, which he claims has dropped by 15,000 votes over the last decade. Chamakkala asserts that he garnered support from various factions, including the Left parties and even members of Kumar's family, leading to his victory by a margin of over 8,000 votes. The political rivalry between the UDF and Kumar's party continues to intensify as both sides prepare for future electoral contests.