Kerala Assembly elections 2026: UDF, LDF, NDA candidates hit the ground in Thripunithura

Congress workers in starched white khadi milled around, awaiting the arrival of United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Deepak Joy, who was to launch his day’s campaign from the spot. In the background, a loudspeaker mounted on a campaign vehicle blared the controversial parody song on the Sabarimala gold theft, widely deployed by the opposition against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate.

Soon after, Mr. Joy alighted from an SUV to a reception of tricolour garlands and shawls. He walked through shops and establishments seeking votes before climbing onto his campaign vehicle to deliver a brief speech. Known for his soft-spoken style rather than fiery rhetoric, he kept his address measured.

“The constituency, which has benefited from over three decades of development under K. Babu, needs continuity under the UDF,” Mr. Joy said, referring to the six-time Congress legislator who has retired from active politics. He declined to be drawn into allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ceded ground to its National Democratic Alliance partner Twenty20 as part of a ‘political deal,’ insisting instead that the UDF would receive support across all sections of society.

LDF candidate K.N. Unnikrishnan during his campaign.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Around six kilometres away in Palluruthy, his LDF rival K.N. Unnikrishnan was engaged in personal errands before turning to preparations for a public meeting to be addressed later in the evening by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thripunithura. Though his campaign for the day remained limited, he greeted people around the CPI(M)’s Palluruthy area committee office and fielded calls seeking assistance in his capacity as sitting MLA of Vypeen.

The decision of the CPI(M) to shift him to Thripunithura from Vypeen, according to Mr. Unnikrishnan, was the reflection of the party’s confidence in him to reclaim the constituency, once a stronghold of CPI(M), represented by stalwarts like T.K. Ramakrishnan. He dismissed talk of a CPI(M)-BJP deal as “the imagination of Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan,” countering instead with allegations of a Congress-League-BJP nexus.

“Ours is a secular party that never compromises with caste or religious outfits for a few votes. BJP workers are indeed disheartened at not being able to vote for the lotus symbol. Regardless of electoral outcomes over the decades, Communism and its people’s organisations have remained deep-rooted in Thripunithura,” he said.

The NDA’s Anjali Nair interacting with voters at Palluruthy.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

Meanwhile, Twenty20’s candidate, actor Anjali Nair, began her day’s campaign at the Kothakulangara Dharma Shastha temple not far away. The road leading to the temple was lined with workers in saffron caps and motorcycles flying BJP and Twenty20 flags.

At the temple, a young girl ran up to ask Ms. Nair her name before returning to her friend to discuss the films she had acted in. The curiosity was palpable as she visited households in the neighbourhood, greeted by wide-eyed women and children excited to see an actor at their doorstep.

“Being an actor gives me a girl-next-door image, making my interaction with people easier. The constituency lacks basic infrastructure, from drinking water to streetlights, which can be addressed with support from the Central government,” she said. Ms. Nair ruled out any discontent among BJP cadres over the absence of a lotus candidate, insisting on their wholehearted support on the ground.