At Pangode junction in Vattiyurkavu assembly constituency, the heat rose in waves from the tarmac, blurring the edges of a restless afternoon. Traffic crawled past walls covered in campaign posters of the three main political coalitions.
Within minutes the herald vehicles of the rival fronts cut through the air in rapid succession, their loudspeakers clashing in a chorus of slogans. Amid the hubbub, Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate VK Prasanth paused to speak between handshakes.
Development board
“During the last six-and-a-half years as MLA, we have brought in projects worth ₹718 crore, many of which are now in various stages of implementation,” he said. He shot a list of development projects that looked familiar to many residents – at Vattiyurkavu, Pattom and Kesavadasapuram junctions and other places including Ambalamukku, Peroorkada and Kannammoola. “I am seeking another mandate to take them forward. Our goal is to put Vattiyurkava on a development trajectory comparable to big cities and make it a smart urban space suitable for seniors.”
LDF candidate selection relies heavily on continuity. He won the seat in the 2019 by-election, which he claimed to be vacated by Congress leader K. Muraleedharan. He consolidated the LDF’s position in this segment in the 2021 assembly polls, retaining the constituency with a comfortable margin.
But the mood on the ground is far from one-sided.
A few kilometers away, near Muttada, the heavens opened when Mr. Muraleedharan, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate arrived at Reshmi Nagar. As he alighted from his vehicle, rain-soaked supporters gathered and accepted shawls and greetings with practiced ease. The contrast with the earlier heat was striking, but the intensity of the campaign did not change.
‘Constant Presence’
“I have been a constant presence here over the years,” said a senior Congress official. “Even when I was the MP representing Vadakara, I visited Vattiyurkava at least twice a week. I shared the joys and worries of the people here. After my defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Thrissur, I shifted my full attention to this constituency.”
He is also credited with leading the UDF campaign during the recent Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections in which the coalition made significant gains. His candidature signals the UDF’s determination to regain lost ground in a constituency that was once its stronghold.
Meanwhile, at a restaurant tucked away on a busy stretch in Kuravankonam, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate K. Sreelekha stopped briefly with her campaign team, many of them young volunteers who, she said, skipped breakfast to keep up with the day’s schedule.
‘Receptive to BJP’
The former IPS officer seemed confident about his prospects. “Vattiyurkavu has always been accommodating to the BJP. Though we are yet to win here, the corporation wards within the constituency have been our strongholds,” she said.
She pointed to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where NDA candidate in Thiruvananthapuram Rajeev Chandrasekhar polled strongly in segments including Vattiyurkavu. “This time I believe we will exceed expectations. The response on the ground has been very encouraging. It could also be historic – we can see the first woman MLA from here,” she said.
The BJP’s optimism reflects a broader trend. Its vote share in the urban pockets of Kerala has been steadily increasing, though this has not translated into victory, except when the party secured victory in Nemom in 2016.
While the tense nature of recent contests lingers in the memory, the constant stream of accusations this time around has further soured the mood. The Congress claimed “political deals” between their political rivals, while the CPI(M) dismissed it as political desperation and the BJP called it baseless. Adding to the friction were complaints about campaign tactics, with Mr Muraleedharan complaining about claims of mobilizing “paid rallies”, while Mr Prasanth countered that such allegations reflected the opposition’s organizational weakness.
Published – 03 Apr 2026 10:22 IST
