The traditional two grand alliances, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and the nascent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are locked in a no-holds-barred electoral battle in south Kerala as the clock ticks towards the April 9 state assembly.
The three-point battle appears to be sharply demarcated in 42 constituencies spread across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts, with the LDF and UDF focused on not giving way to the NDA, backed by the BJP’s local electoral superiority, especially in the Thiruvananthapuram municipal body, 2025 in the
Both the LDF and the UDF are protecting themselves against the BJP by actively wooing minority votes, especially Muslims. The LDF and UDF are betting that Muslims could resort to tactical voting to support whichever candidate they see most likely to dent the NDA’s chances in the south.
The loyalties of political organizations drawing strength from their predominantly Muslim base, other than the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a staunch ally of the UDF, appeared to be divided between the LDF and the UDF.
In particular, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has “quietly” declared its support for the LDF. The Welfare Party, the political arm of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (Kerala) (JIH), has sided with the UDF.
In Thiruvananthapuram in particular, the UDF accused the LDF of colluding with the Sangh Parivar to court Hindu majority votes after the ruling fronts’ “overtures” towards Muslims and Christians in the 2025 local elections failed.
In return, the LDF has highlighted the “Islamist ideological roots” of the JIH, especially in the Kazhakuttam constituency, which has a sizeable Muslim population, to challenge the secular stance of the UDF.
How the balancing narratives of the LDF, UDF and NDA will play out in South Kerala, which has a complex mix of Hindus, Christians and Muslims, remains a matter of conjecture until the results are declared on May 3.
LDF, UDF and NDA are fighting on very contrasting election platforms. NDA wants to weaken LDF-UDF ‘revolving door’ policy in Kerala.
Both the NDA and the UDF have made the Sabarimala gold theft case an election issue.
The UDF is airing the “need for change” and is trying to capitalize on the decade-long “bureaucratic issues weighing down” the LDF government.
LDF follows a binary strategy. He is hard-selling his extensive social network, KIFFB-funded development and signature legislative success, including a law legalizing encroachment on allotted land, calibrated to benefit the church-backed community of settlers and farmers in South Kerala’s hill plantations.
There seem to be some high-profile election battles taking place in South Kerala that are worth staying glued to TVs and mobile phones.
In Thiruvananthapuram, perhaps the most interesting contest for election geeks is the three-way election battle between Education Minister V Sivankutty (CPI(M)), BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and the Congress’s “young turk”, KS Sabarinadhan, in Nemo, which witnessed the “saffron surge of N1DA in 06”.
In Kazhakuttam, incumbent CPI(M) MLA Kadakampally Surendran is fighting hard to match the chances of BJP leader and former Union minister V Muraleedharan, who has been a fixture in the constituency since 2021, and Congress veteran T Sarathchandra Prasad.
In Vattiyurkav, the key question remains whether the entry of Congress veteran K Muraleedharan and former DGP and BJP candidate R Sreelekha could field incumbent MLA and CPI(M) leader VK Prasanth. Mr. Muraleedharan won the segment in 2011 and 2016.
Similar high profile battles take place in Pathanamthitta district, the heart of the Sabarimala tradition.
In Aranmula, CPI(M) leader and health minister Veena George is testing political wits with BJP leader and former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan, while Congress’ Abin Varkey is trying to spoil the chances of LDF and NDA.
In Kottarakkara in Kollam district, CPI(M) leader and Finance Minister KN .Balagopal is up against party defector Aisha Potty, a three-time MLA, with the BJP fielding R. Reshmi.
The stakes are high for the LDF in Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha district. A veteran CPI(M) dissident, G Sudhakaran, is pitted against his former party colleague H Salam, raising the specter of party vote erosion for the ruling front.
In Pathanampuram, Kerala Congress (B) leader and Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar is battling Congress warhorse Jyothikumar Chamakkala. Notably, internal disagreements prompted Mr. Ganesh Kumar to resign recently as president of the taluk union of the Nair Service Society (NSS), which wields considerable political influence in the constituency. However, the LDF is banking on the popularity of Mr. Ganesh Kumar as the Transport Minister and five-term MLA.
Published – 04 Apr 2026 19:40 IST
