<p>Thiruvananthapuram: As the deadline for filing nominations for the Kerala Assembly elections ended on Monday, several candidates, including Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</a>, are facing challenges posed by name-sakes in different constituencies.</p>.<p>Apart from Vijayan, CPI(M) rebel leader G Sudhakaran, Trinamool Congress leader P V Anvar, Minister P Rajeev, CPI(M) MLA V K Prasanth, Congress leaders K Muralidharan, Praveen Kumar K, and Thomas Unniyadan also face opponents with the same name.</p>.<p>In the Dharmadam constituency, where the Chief Minister is contesting, an independent candidate named Vijayan A M, a native of Chedichery in Kannur, has filed nomination.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Namesake candidates emerge across constituencies as nominations close.<p>CPI(M) rebel leader G Sudhakaran is also facing a namesake in Ambalapuzha, a person named Sudhakaran, who has filed nomination as an independent.</p>.<p>Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, too, has an independent opponent named Ramesh C in Haripad.</p>.<p>Congress leader K R Rajendraprasad, contesting against minister P Prasad, is also facing a namesake.</p>.<p>Anvar, who is contesting from Beypore against Tourism Minister P A Muhammad Riyas, son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is facing as many as four namesakes.</p>.<p>Independent candidates Anwar Al Hassan and three others with the name Anvar have filed nominations from Beypore in Kozhikode, where P V Anvar is in the fray.</p>.<p>Apart from Anvar, even Riyas has two namesakes — Mohammed Riyas T T and Muhammad Riyas P C.</p>.<p>In Kalamassery, an independent candidate named Rajeev has filed nomination papers in the constituency where Minister P Rajeev is contesting.</p>.<p>At Thiruvambady, where Muslim League leader C K Kasim is contesting, two other candidates with the same name have also filed nominations.</p>.<p>In Vattiyoorkavu, sitting MLA V K Prasanth faces a namesake in independent candidate Prasanth K.</p>.<p>In the same constituency, Congress leader K Muralidharan faces an independent opponent, Muralidharan P.</p>.<p>In Koyilandy, Kozhikode DCC president Praveen Kumar K is up against an independent candidate with the same name.</p>.<p>Similarly, Congress leader Thomas Unniyadan, contesting from Irinjalakuda, is also facing an independent candidate named Thomas.</p>.<p>After scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, several such namesake candidates are likely to exit the contest. </p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: As the deadline for filing nominations for the Kerala Assembly elections ended on Monday, several candidates, including Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</a>, are facing challenges posed by name-sakes in different constituencies.</p>.<p>Apart from Vijayan, CPI(M) rebel leader G Sudhakaran, Trinamool Congress leader P V Anvar, Minister P Rajeev, CPI(M) MLA V K Prasanth, Congress leaders K Muralidharan, Praveen Kumar K, and Thomas Unniyadan also face opponents with the same name.</p>.<p>In the Dharmadam constituency, where the Chief Minister is contesting, an independent candidate named Vijayan A M, a native of Chedichery in Kannur, has filed nomination.</p>.Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | Namesake candidates emerge across constituencies as nominations close.<p>CPI(M) rebel leader G Sudhakaran is also facing a namesake in Ambalapuzha, a person named Sudhakaran, who has filed nomination as an independent.</p>.<p>Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, too, has an independent opponent named Ramesh C in Haripad.</p>.<p>Congress leader K R Rajendraprasad, contesting against minister P Prasad, is also facing a namesake.</p>.<p>Anvar, who is contesting from Beypore against Tourism Minister P A Muhammad Riyas, son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is facing as many as four namesakes.</p>.<p>Independent candidates Anwar Al Hassan and three others with the name Anvar have filed nominations from Beypore in Kozhikode, where P V Anvar is in the fray.</p>.<p>Apart from Anvar, even Riyas has two namesakes — Mohammed Riyas T T and Muhammad Riyas P C.</p>.<p>In Kalamassery, an independent candidate named Rajeev has filed nomination papers in the constituency where Minister P Rajeev is contesting.</p>.<p>At Thiruvambady, where Muslim League leader C K Kasim is contesting, two other candidates with the same name have also filed nominations.</p>.<p>In Vattiyoorkavu, sitting MLA V K Prasanth faces a namesake in independent candidate Prasanth K.</p>.<p>In the same constituency, Congress leader K Muralidharan faces an independent opponent, Muralidharan P.</p>.<p>In Koyilandy, Kozhikode DCC president Praveen Kumar K is up against an independent candidate with the same name.</p>.<p>Similarly, Congress leader Thomas Unniyadan, contesting from Irinjalakuda, is also facing an independent candidate named Thomas.</p>.<p>After scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, several such namesake candidates are likely to exit the contest. </p>