Kerala Assembly polls: UDF looks to extend its dominance in Thrikkakara for fourth election in a row

Four years ago, during the by-election necessitated by the death of sitting Congress MLA P.T. Thomas, the Thrikkakara Assembly constituency witnessed one of the most high-profile campaigns in Kerala in recent memory.

The entire Left Democratic Front (LDF) machinery, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, camped in the constituency — long regarded as a United Democratic Front (UDF) stronghold — and mounted a campaign blitz in a bid to raise its Assembly tally from 99 to the coveted three-figure mark. But when the dust settled, not only did the UDF candidate, Mr. Thomas’ wife Uma Thomas, retain the seat, she did so emphatically, registering the biggest-ever victory margin of 25,016 votes since the constituency’s formation in 2008, defeating LDF-backed Independent Jo Joseph.

Ms. Thomas is back in the fray for the UDF, while the LDF has fielded Pushpa Das, a leader of the CPI(M)’s women’s wing, the All India Democratic Women’s Association. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ceded the seat to its new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Twenty20, the corporate-backed political outfit, which has nominated actor and reality show winner Akhil Marar.

The latest round of Assembly elections comes close on the heels of the local body polls, in which the UDF secured a thumping victory, winning 27 of the 48 wards in Thrikkakara municipality. The LDF was restricted to 18, while Twenty20 opened its account with one seat.

Thrikkakara, home to Kochi’s IT hub, has consistently returned UDF candidates since its maiden election in 2011, when Benny Behanan won by a margin of 22,406 votes against the CPI(M)’s M.E. Hassainar.

Mr. Thomas retained the seat in 2016 and 2021, defeating CPI(M) candidate Sebastian Paul and LDF-backed Independent Jo Jacob by margins of 11,996 and 14,329 votes respectively. Twenty20 candidate Terry Thomas came fourth with 10.20% votes in 2021.

Mr. Behanan holds the record for the highest vote share in the constituency — 55.90% in 2011, closely followed by Ms. Thomas with 53.76% in 2022. Mr. Thomas secured 45.80% and 44% votes in the two successive elections. LDF candidates have never crossed 36.90%, managed by Mr. Hassainar and Mr. Paul. The share slipped to an all-time low of 33.50% in 2021, though Mr. Joseph improved it marginally to 35.28% in the 2022 by-election despite conceding a record margin.

The BJP registered its best performance in 2016, when its candidate S. Saji polled 21,247 votes, a 15.90% share. It dropped to 11.40% when he contested again five years later. The party’s worst performance came in 2011, when N. Saji Kumar managed just 5%, followed by senior leader A.N. Radhakrishnan, who secured 9.57% in the 2022 by-election.

Thrikkakara, part of the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency, has also retained its UDF affinity in the general elections. Congress candidate Hibi Eden polled 53.60% in 2019 and improved it to 55.77% in 2024. The CPI(M)’s poorest showing came in 2019, when it managed a mere 55 votes, while the BJP’s Alphonse Kannanthanam came second with 20,710 votes (15.20%). In 2024, the BJP’s K.S. Radhakrishnan improved the tally to 22,204 votes and a 16.78% share.