Elections 98

State:	Kerala
Constituency:	Ernakulam
Total Votes Polled:	776105
Winner: INC	Adv. George Eden	389387
Runner Up: IND	Dr. Sebastian Paul	314879
Margin: 74508 (19%)

Elections 96

State:	Kerala
Constituency:	Ernakulam
Total Votes Polled:	729915
Winner: IND	Xavier Arrakkal	335479
Runner Up: INC	K V Thomas	305094
Margin: 30385 (4.25%)

Only once, in 1967, has this seat gone out of the hold of the Congress hands and gone to the Communists, so it was rather surprising that in 1996 the Congress found itself in the second place. Winning the seat was an independent, Xavier Arakkal.