Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 | State readies itself to vote, 3-cornered contest as BJP hopes to make inroads

Thiruvananthapuram: The 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala are going to the polls on Thursday.

The state has around 2.71 crore voters and a total of 883 candidates are seeking mandate. Among the 2,71,42,952 voters, 1,39,21,868 are female, 1,32,20,811 male and 273 third-gender.

While it is a direct contest between the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front and opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front in most of the seats, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is pinning high hopes in at least ten seats, making it a three-cornered contest.

The key factors that could influence the voters are anti-incumbency against the ten year long LDF government, Sabarimala Ayyappa temple women entry and gold heist issues, Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act amendment moves, alleged dictatorship model governance by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, infights in the CPM leading to several rebel candidates in party strongholds, top heavy Congress leadership and BJP's campaign against the LDF - UDF alternative rule in Kerala.

The prominent candidates in the fray are Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from Dharmadam in Kannur, leader of opposition and Congress leader V D Satheesan from Paravur in Kochi, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala from Harippad in Alappuzha and BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar from Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram.

The UDF is pinning high hopes of returning to power in Kerala after ten years by cashing in on the anti-incumbency against the Pinarayi Viayan government that was quite evident during the recent local body polls.

The LDF is expecting a third term by highlighting various development initiatives as well as massive public relation exercises to boost the government's image as well as projecting Pinarayi Vijayan.

BJP-NDA, under the leadership of Chandrasekhar, is projecting itself as a third alternative in the state by campaigning that the LDF and UDF are not two, but one as they are part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc at the centre.

Of the 30,495 polling booths in the state around 2,040 were identified as sensitive booths. Prohibitory orders were imposed at sensitive areas and many potential trouble makers were kept in preventive custody to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls.

Election Commission officials led by Chief electoral officer Rathan U Kelkar have been carrying out massive campaigns to ensure maximum participation of voters in the polls. In the 2021 assembly polls the voter turnout was 75.60 percent.