 The party had put a decent show in the Karnataka Local Body elections in 2013 by winning 17 seats.Among the various parties who contested for the 2014 Indian general election in Kerala, SDPI had the highest number of candidates with criminal charges.Fourteen out of the party's 20 candidates faced criminal charges.7 out of 17 candidates from the BJP, 6 out of 9 from the CPI(M), 6 out of 15 from the Congress, all four candidates of CPI, and 3 out of the 20 candidates from the BSP had criminal cases against them.