Kerala Assembly polls 2026: NDA declares candidates for 12 seats in Kozhikode

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) have declared candidates for 12 of the 13 Assembly constituencies in Kozhikode district even as the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) [NCP(SP)], a Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituent, retained Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran in Elathur despite the party’s district workers’ convention on Monday (March 16, 2026) proposing district president Mukkom Mohammed for the seat.

Meanwhile, though the United Democratic Front (UDF) is yet to officially announce its candidates, Congress leaders who have got a green signal from the top leadership have already begun their work. LDF candidates too are getting into the campaign mode.

A UDF worker drawing a graffiti at Edakkad in Kozhikode city. 
| Photo Credit:
K. Ragesh

The BJP’s candidates are K. Dileep (Vadakara), Ramadas Manaleri (Kuttiyadi), C.P. Vipin Chandran (Nadapuram), C.R. Praful Krishna (Koyilandy), M. Mohanan (Perambra), C.P. Satheesan (Balussery), T. Devadas (Elathur), Navya Haridas (Kozhikode North), T. Reneesh (Kozhikode South), K.P. Prakash Babu (Beypore), and V.K. Sajeevan (Kunnamangalam). Ms. Haridas and Mr. Reneesh are councillors in the Kozhikode Corporation. The BDJS candidate for Koduvally is Giri Pambanal.

Mukkom Mohammed ignored

The national leadership of the NCP(SP) has chosen to ignore the demand by the Kozhikode district committee to nominate Mr. Mohammed from Elathur, from where Mr. Saseendran has been winning since 2011. On Monday, a district convention held at the Town Hall in Kozhikode city again endorsed Mr. Mohammed’s name. Though Mr. Mohammed, also the district convener of the Left Democratic Front, made a passionate and emotional speech criticising the alleged efforts by certain people in the party to deny him ticket citing his religious identity, the NCP(SP) national leadership chose to ignore all that. Earlier, a majority of the ‘mandalam’ committees of the party had supported Mr. Mohammed’s candidature.

According to sources, the candidate list for the Congress in Kozhikode is almost ready and the party is awaiting the official declaration. The Indian Union Muslim League is expected to make the formal announcement of its nominees on Tuesday (March 17, 2026).

In the LDF, prominent candidates who began their campaigning include Minister for Public Works P.A. Mohamed Riyas and Kozhikode North MLA Thottathil Raveendran.