Manjeswaram, one in every of Kerala’s most intently watched Assembly constituencies identified for razor-thin margins, is headed for but another tight contest within 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 accomplice of the United Democratic Front (UDF). Since the primary election in 1957, the IUML has maintained dominance within the constituency, besides throughout 1970 and 1977 (M. Ramappa), 1980 and 1982 (A. Subbarao), and 2006 (C.H. Kunjambu) when Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidates gained from the phase.
The Bharatiya Janata Party started making inroads into the constituency in 1987 when H. Shankara Alva completed second, pushing the LDF to the third spot. The celebration’s place improved since 2011 when Okay. Surendran contested within the constituency. The phase has been drawing Statewide consideration since 2016 when Mr. Surendran misplaced by a skinny margin of 89 votes to IUML’s P.B. Abdul Razak. Though he didn’t contest within the 2019 bypoll, the celebration introduced Mr. Surendran again to the fray in 2021 as within the 2019 bypoll the celebration’ vote share had lowered significantly. The BJP’s choice to discipline him as soon as once more has raised hopes among the many celebration supporters as there was close to parity in votes between the 2 fronts within the 2021 Assembly election.
However, the BJP faces a stiff problem from incumbent MLA and UDF candidate A.Okay.M. Ashraf who enjoys appreciable native help. Recent electoral developments appear to favour the UDF. In the newest native physique elections, the UDF secured round 47% vote share within the constituency, growing the hole with the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) vote share, which polled about 31%.
The constituency contains eight panchayats—Enmakaje, Kumbla, Mangalpady, Manjeswaram, Meenja, Paivalike, Puthige and Vorkady. Both the UDF and the NDA have already begun election preparations within the constituency. While the LDF doesn’t appear to have a robust profitable edge within the constituency, its vote share is more likely to play a decisive position in figuring out the end result.
The LDF has fielded Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretariat member Okay.R. Jayanandan in a constituency the place even slender shifts in vote share might show decisive.
SDPI stance
Seeking to regain relevance, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had proposed that it will again the LDF if it fielded Shanavas Padhoor, the previous vice-president of the Kasaragod district panchayat, as an Independent candidate. With no optimistic response from the LDF, the SDPI is contemplating to discipline its personal candidate in Manjeswaram for the primary time. Party leaders declare that the SDPI has round 7,000 votes within the constituency. The choice marks a shift from the celebration’s earlier technique of not fielding candidates within the constituency, largely to forestall the BJP from gaining floor. Local SDPI leaders say the transfer follows dissatisfaction amongst cadres who imagine that the celebration’s development has been restricted by the IUML management within the constituency.
In the 2020 native physique elections, the SDPI gained two wards within the Manjeswaram grama panchayat, polling a complete of 1,860 votes. It had contested in eight wards then. In the 2025 native physique polls, it contested in 13 wards within the panchayat and gained two. It practically doubled its vote share securing 3,617 votes altogether, reflecting a rising vote base however restricted electoral success.
New developments have begun to complicate the political arithmetic within the constituency.
Konkani Christians
A piece of the Konkani Latin Christian group has floated the concept 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 advantages. According to leaders of the Konkani Latin Christian Association, about 7,000 members of the group stay in Manjeswaram. Unlike different Latin Catholics in Kerala, they’re but to obtain the Other Backward Classes standing and the related 4% reservation in authorities jobs and academic establishments. While discussions inside the group are ongoing, opinions stay divided over whether or not contesting the election would profit their trigger.
However, with smaller teams such as the SDPI, Independent candidates and sections of the Konkani Christian group signalling unbiased strikes, their votes might grow to be decisive in a constituency the place victory margins are historically slim. Any fragmentation of the votes might considerably affect the end result in what is anticipated to be one in every of Kerala’s closest electoral battles.
Published – March 21, 2026 03:22 am IST
