Kerala Assembly polls 2026: Independents, the rebels who dare to raise the banner of protest

The tag that comes with their candidature, Independent candidates, may sound neutral and fiercely independent of political affiliations. Yet, they bring with them a rare political conviction that embolden them to raise the banner of revolt against the organisation and fellow workers with whom they grew up in life and the party. It could be the perceived injustice they faced within the organisation, or their resolve to register their protest against the party or its policies, that prompted them to field themselves as Independent candidates and seek support from their former political rivals.

The Independent candidates, who garnered support from their political rivals to defeat their former party colleagues, have created a unique political history in Kerala.

Prominent Independent candidates over the years who have made it to the legislative Assembly by winning the support of their former rivals include Lonappan Nambadan, who switched over to the Communist Party of India [CPI (M)] from Kerala Congress; T.K. Hamsa, who left for the CPI(M) from Congress; and K. T. Jaleel, who parted ways with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) after raising a banner of revolt against the party leadership, especially League strongman P.K. Kunhalikutty. Mr. Jaleel trounced his former party leader Mr. Kunhalikutty in his first electoral battle in the Kuttipuram constituency in Malappuram in 2006.

P.V. Anvar severed his political ties with the Congress to shift to the Left camp only to return to the United Democratic Front (UDF) fold. He became one of the vociferous critics of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after snapping his ties with the CPI (M).

Former Congress leader V. Abdurahiman donned the role of an (Left Democratic Front) LDF-supported Independent and tried his luck in a parliamentary seat. Later, he won the Tanur Assembly seat with the support of the LDF and went on to become a Minister in the 2021 LDF government.

Kunnath Muhammad, a former leader of the IUML, is contesting from the Mankada Constituency this time against his former party colleagues with the support of the LDF.

When Congress leader Cherian Philip decided to challenge his political mentor and late Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Puthuppally, the LDF quickly offered its support to him. Mr. Philip, who couldn’t win against Chandy, subsequently returned to Congress.

P. Sarin, the former IT cell convenor of the Congress, unsuccessfully contested the Palakkad Assembly bypoll in 2024 with the support of the CPI(M).

It is the UDF that has either fielded or supported the largest number of dissidents and rebels in this election. It has put its weight behind former CPI (M) leader and Minister G. Sudhakaran who is contesting as an Independent from the Ambalapuzha constituency.

The front has also offered its support to two former CPI (M) leaders, who are in the fray in Kannur this time.

In Payyannur, V. Kunhikrishnan, who quit the CPI(M) after alleging irregularities in the collection of a martyrs’ fund, is challenging the CPI(M) legislator T.I. Madhusoodanan. In Taliparamba, former CPI(M) district secretariat member T.K. Govindan is pitted against CPI (M) leader P.K. Shyamala, in protest against Ms. Shyamala’s candidature. Incidentally, Ms. Shyamala is the wife of the party State secretary M.V. Govindan.

P. K. Sasi, the former CPI(M) MLA from Shoranur, is contesting as an Independent backed by the UDF from Ottapalam this time. Though the UDF had initially planned to field Mr. Sasi on the Congress symbol, the decision was withdrawn following objections from a section of local party leaders. The UDF chose to back the CPI(M) rebel hoping to cash in on his popularity among the electorate and the dissent within the CPI (M).

LDF-backed candidates

This time around, the LDF, which could not poach anyone from the rival camps, has offered its support to 10 candidates.

In Kasaragod, the LDF is supporting former Congress leader Shanavas Padoor with the hope of breaking into the IUML stronghold. P.T.A. Rahim in Kunnamangalam constituency in Kozhikode district is one such Independent candidate in the fray. RJD leader Saleem Madavoor has been accommodated as an LDF-backed independent in Koduvally to challenge IUML candidate P. K. Firose.

The LDF’s experiment was successful in Koduvally in 2016 when it backed Karat Razak, then an IUML rebel. However, Mr. Razak returned to the League a few weeks ago.

In the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, the LDF was forced to field actor Sudheer Karamana as an Independent candidate as the incumbent legislator Antony Raju of Janadhipathya Kerala Congress was disqualified after he was convicted in a criminal case.

(With inputs from Abdul Latheef Naha in Malappuram, G. Ragesh in Kochi and S.R. Praveen in Thiruvananthapuram)