KP Kunhammed Kutty, LDF candidate in Kuttiyadi takes a selfie with a group of youths in Villiappally on April 4. | Photo credit: K. Ragesh
KP Kunhammed Kutty is surrounded by a group of young people as he leaves a wedding function at a house near the Kottiyamvelly temple in Villiappally on a sultry Saturday afternoon (April 4). They want to take a selfie with Kuttiyadi MLA. He grants their request with a smile.
“I am getting good response from people as I am looking for another term. Kuttiyadi has seen unprecedented development in the last five years,” says Mr. Kunhammed Kutty as he greets the participants of the event.
Parakkal Abdulla, UDF candidate in Kuttiyadi, arriving at Mukkadathum Vayal to attend a meeting on April 4. Photo credit: K. Ragesh
In the 2021 assembly elections, the senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leader, who contested as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, defeated Indian Muslim League (IUML) veteran Parakkal Abdulla, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate and sitting MLA, by a margin of 333 votes. Mr. Kunhammed Kutty was named the LDF nominee following an internal revolt in the ranks of the CPI(M) as a section of local activists questioned the party’s earlier decision to allot the Kerala Congress (Mani) seat. This time, Mr. Abdulla is contesting again, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded Ramadas Manaleri of the BJP.
Ramadas Manaleri, NDA candidate in Kuttiyadi, meeting people at a hypermarket in Ayanchery. | Photo credit: K. Ragesh
Kunhammed Kutty claims that the development projects he has initiated in the constituency will give him a permanent edge over his political rivals in the hustings.
“All government schools have new buildings. There are good roads. The Kuttiyadi Taluk Government Hospital, which receives patients from at least 10 gram panchayats, is all set to get a new six-storey block. Kuttiyadi is known for its premium, high-yielding variety of coconuts. Five acres have been earmarked in the Coconut Park for creating value-added products for agriculture. out. When asked about a possible wave against the state government, Mr. Kunhammed Kutty said, that the people they encounter do not make such complaints.
Mr. Abdulla has a different take on it. Addressing a rally of UDF supporters at Mukkadathum Vayal near Ayanchery, the IUML leader claims that all voters are ready to topple the government. “Last time we lost by a narrow margin. UDF workers should make every effort to ensure that all votes favorable to us are cast correctly. We should not be overconfident about victory. People of Kerala want change and Kuttiyadi needs a UDF MLA to implement development work here,” he says. Before Mr Abdulla’s speech, local Congress and IUML leaders gave speeches detailing the “Indira guarantees” offered to the UDF in its election manifesto while criticizing the “misrule” under Pinarayi Vijayan for the past 10 years.
A few kilometers away, near his residence in Valliyad, Mr. Manaleri meets the local people to reaffirm their support. “Both LDF and UDF talk about development, but they have done nothing. The condition of Coconut Park is pathetic. The government hospital here has no gynaecologist. Outpatient services will stop in the afternoon. We are focusing on the projects being implemented by the Narendra Modi government in the centre,” he says.
With public campaigning ending in a few days and all major candidates trying to reach maximum number of voters, the outcome of the Kuttiyadi election could be too close.
Published – 04 Apr 2026 21:17 IST
