K. Premkumar won the seat defeating PK Sasi by 26,777 seats | Photo credit: KK Mustafah
The surge in Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate K Premkumar’s winning margin in Ottappalam surprised political observers, especially amid the LDF’s wider electoral setbacks across the state. While the LDF lost three seats in Palakkad district and saw a reduced margin in six others, Premkumar secured a lead of 26,777 votes over PK Sasi – the expelled CPI(M) leader who contested with the support of the United Democratic Front (UDF). This represents a significant increase from its 2021 margin of victory of 15,152 votes, with no other constituency seeing a comparable increase in the LDF’s margin of victory.
Mr. Sasi attributed the result to what he described as the UDF’s failure to consolidate its votes. He claimed that a substantial portion of the UDF’s votes had shifted to the BJP, citing the party’s increased vote share in Ottappalam. The widening margin is also seen in political circles as a reflection of voter reaction to Mr Sasi’s candidacy. He was ousted from the district committee of the CPI(M) on allegations of misconduct and financial irregularities, though he remained with the party until shortly before the elections. He also served as the Chairman of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation till February 19.
Published – 05 May 2026 21:01 IST
