Kothamangalam is among the assembly constituencies challenging the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) largely justified claim that Ernakulam district remains its stronghold despite setbacks elsewhere in the state.
The agrarian constituency is represented by the CPI(M) MLA, Antony John, since 2016. The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which is going all out to win a third term in the state, has fielded him again in the constituency.
Mr John is aiming for a hat-trick win as the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) re-fielded Shiba Thekumpuram of the Kerala Congress, five years after he tasted defeat at the hands of the LDF. Aji Narayanan of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) is the candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Mr John changed the political complexion of Kothamangalam in 2016 by defeating Kerala Congress(M) veteran TU Kuruvilla. The crucial seat, with a winning margin of 19,282 votes, was widely seen as a reflection of a nationwide wave against the Oommen Chandy-led UDF government. Mr John could retain the seat in 2021, although his margin of victory has dropped to 6,605 votes despite having the KC(M), led by Jose K. Mani, on the left wing. Mr. Thekkumpuram entered the election scene on a Kerala Congress ticket led by PJ Joseph.
This is the second time that Mr. John and Mr. Thekkumpuram are coming face to face in the constituency.
The key change in the election battle this time is the expansion of the NDA by hosting the Twenty20. The candidate of the Kitex party, Dr. Joe Joseph, received 7,978 votes in 2021, more than BDJS’s 4,638 votes. The two parties last had almost 10% of the vote combined, although that is nowhere near the vote share of the winner and runner-up – 47.1% and 42.3% respectively.
The LDF is counting on Mr. John’s popularity and “infrastructural development” in the constituency, while the UDF is hoping for Mr. Thekkumpuram’s endurance. The Kerala Congress leader has been trying to consolidate his foothold in the constituency for the past five years despite losing in 2021. The UDF is hoping that Mr. Thekkumpuram’s interventions on local issues along with perceived anti-establishment sentiments against the LDF in the state will turn fortunes in its favor this time.
While increasing cases of human-wildlife conflict along with farmers’ problems have emerged as key issues in the constituency, the stance of various church groups, especially the Jacobite Syrian Christian denomination, could be a deciding factor in the polls. Members of the Jacobite Church, who feel they have been denied justice by the Supreme Court’s 2017 verdict in the Malankara Church dispute, are widely seen as closer to the Left Front. They make up over 20% of voters.
Kothamangalam has mostly been a UDF stronghold, with VJ Paulose of the Congress winning a hat-trick, starting in 1991. Candidates from various factions of the Kerala Congress have represented the region eight times, starting in 1965 when the constituency was created, while the CPI(M) won the seat in 1967.
Published – 25 March 2026 22:34 IST
