In contrast to its rich cultural and spiritual traditions, Aranmula’s political legacy rarely has a fixed direction.
Voter preferences here tend to shift from one election to the next, making it one of the most unpredictable constituencies in the state. After a constituency reorganization in 2008, the United Democratic Front (UDF) secured the seat in 2011. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) then turned the tables in the next two elections, while the UDF continues to hold a lead in the Lok Sabha and local opinion polls.
One of the largest constituencies in Kerala in terms of voter strength, Aranmula brings together areas that were once part of the erstwhile Pathanamthitta and Aranmula segments. According to the latest voter list, it has 2,14,575 voters. In the 2021 assembly elections, it stood out as the constituency with the highest number of voters in the state with 2.37 lakh voters. Campaigning here is not an easy task as the candidates have to go through a huge geographical spread and connect with voters in short time frames.
Aranmula’s local body map adds another layer to the competition. After the recent elections, the UDF now controls most of the panchayats, including Eraviperoor, Koipuram, Thottapuzhassery, Kozhencherry, Aranmula, Mallappuzhassery, Elanthoor, Chenneerkara and Mezhuveli, along with Pathanamthitta municipality. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds power in Omalloor and Naranganam, while Kulanada remains the LDF’s only stronghold. Many of these panchayats were previously under LDF control, underscoring how quickly the country can move.
For LDF, Veena George is seeking another term from the seat. She entered electoral politics for the first time in 2016 and returned with a larger majority in the next election. Now, as Health Minister, Mrs George is banking on her track record over the past five years and has already begun her campaign in earnest.
Meanwhile, the Congress is looking to mount a serious challenge by fielding youth leader Abin Varkey Kodiyatta. In a constituency where communal equations and personal influence often matter as much as party loyalty, his entry adds weight to the UDF’s bid to wrest the seat. Anticipation of anti-incumbency sentiment further strengthened the party camp.
Triangular competitions
With the NDA also maintaining a presence in the constituency, Aranmula has repeatedly witnessed close triangular contests. The trend is expected to continue, with the Bharatiya Janata Party fielding senior leader Kummanam Rajasekharan, who led the agitation against the proposed Aranmula airport, in hopes of bettering its best ever performance of 37,906 votes recorded in 2016.
At the heart of Aranmula’s politics lies its social structure. Community equations have long played a decisive role, with the influence of the Nair community and the Malankara Orthodox Syriac Church shaping both candidate selection and campaign strategy.
A constituency rarely follows a fixed voting pattern. In 2011, two sitting MLAs contested, with K. Sivadasan Nair of the Congress defeating KC Rajagopal by 6,511 votes.
Tidal shifts
The tide changed in 2016 when Veena George defeated Sivadasan Nair by 7,646 votes. In 2021, she significantly widened that margin, winning by 19,003 votes against the same opponent. Yet in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, she fell behind by 6,593 votes in the Aranmula segment against Anto Antony.
A look at the region’s broader electoral history reflects a similar pattern of surprises and swings. In 1996, Communist Marxist Party (CMP) leader MV Raghavan faced a major setback when poet Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan defeated him.
At the state level, CPI leader Thoppil Bhasi first represented Pathanamthittu in the assembly, followed by CK Harichandran Nair in 1960 and M. Ravindranathan in 1963. Kerala Congress leader Vayala Idikula won in 1965. From 1967 to 2001, KK Nair won several elections under a dominant force. He only lost once, in 1977, and even finished third in 2006 when he contested as an independent.
Published – April 1, 2026 11:15 AM IST
