Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Manjeswaram set for another photo finish as key players line up

Manjeswaram, one of Kerala’s most closely watched Assembly constituencies known for razor-thin margins, is headed for yet another tight contest in the Assembly election scheduled on April 9, 2026.

Bordering Karnataka, the constituency has largely remained a stronghold of the Indian Union Muslim League, an alliance partner of the United Democratic Front (UDF). Since the first election in 1957, the IUML has maintained dominance in the constituency, except during 1970 and 1977 (M. Ramappa), 1980 and 1982 (A. Subbarao), and 2006 (C.H. Kunjambu) when Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates won from the segment.

The Bharatiya Janata Party began making inroads into the constituency in 1987 when H. Shankara Alva finished second, pushing the LDF to the third spot. The party’s position improved since 2011 when K. Surendran contested in the constituency. The segment has been drawing Statewide attention since 2016 when Mr. Surendran lost by a thin margin of 89 votes to IUML’s P.B. Abdul Razak. Though he did not contest in the 2019 bypoll, the party brought Mr. Surendran back to the fray in 2021 as in the 2019 bypoll the party’ vote share had reduced considerably. The BJP’s decision to field him once again has raised hopes among the party supporters as there was near parity in votes between the two fronts in the 2021 Assembly election.

However, the BJP faces a stiff challenge from incumbent MLA and UDF candidate A.K.M. Ashraf who enjoys considerable local support. Recent electoral trends seem to favour the UDF. In the latest local body elections, the UDF secured around 47% vote share in the constituency, increasing the gap with the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) vote share, which polled about 31%.

The constituency comprises eight panchayats—Enmakaje, Kumbla, Mangalpady, Manjeswaram, Meenja, Paivalike, Puthige and Vorkady. Both the UDF and the NDA have already begun election preparations in the constituency. While the LDF does not seem to have a strong winning edge in the constituency, its vote share is likely to play a decisive role in determining the outcome.

The LDF has fielded Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretariat member K.R. Jayanandan in a constituency where even slender shifts in vote share could prove decisive.

SDPI stance

Seeking to regain relevance, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had proposed that it would back the LDF if it fielded Shanavas Padhoor, the former vice-president of the Kasaragod district panchayat, as an Independent candidate. With no positive response from the LDF, the SDPI is considering to field its own candidate in Manjeswaram for the first time. Party leaders claim that the SDPI has around 7,000 votes in the constituency. The decision marks a shift from the party’s earlier strategy of not fielding candidates in the constituency, largely to prevent the BJP from gaining ground. Local SDPI leaders say the move follows dissatisfaction among cadres who believe that the party’s growth has been restricted by the IUML leadership in the constituency.

In the 2020 local body elections, the SDPI won two wards in the Manjeswaram grama panchayat, polling a total of 1,860 votes. It had contested in eight wards then. In the 2025 local body polls, it contested in 13 wards in the panchayat and won two. It nearly doubled its vote share securing 3,617 votes altogether, reflecting a growing vote base but limited electoral success.

New developments have begun to complicate the political arithmetic in the constituency.

Konkani Christians

A section of the Konkani Latin Christian community has floated the idea of fielding an Independent candidate, citing the failure of successive governments led by the UDF and the LDF to recognise them as Latin Catholics for reservation benefits. According to leaders of the Konkani Latin Christian Association, about 7,000 members of the community live in Manjeswaram. Unlike other Latin Catholics in Kerala, they are yet to receive the Other Backward Classes status and the associated 4% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. While discussions within the community are ongoing, opinions remain divided over whether contesting the election would benefit their cause.

However, with smaller groups such as the SDPI, Independent candidates and sections of the Konkani Christian community signalling independent moves, their votes could become decisive in a constituency where victory margins are traditionally narrow. Any fragmentation of the votes could significantly influence the outcome in what is expected to be one of Kerala’s closest electoral battles.