Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: LDF’s bid to retain supremacy in Kozhikode, UDF hopeful of reviving its fortunes

Kozhikode territory presents a quirky paradox for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

While the LDF has had a wide precocious manus present successful each the Assembly polls held since 2006, it does not person an MP from the territory since 2009. The UDF has been capable to elite MLAs lone successful azygous digits since 2006, with the Congress drafting a blank for implicit 2 decades. However, the beforehand has been sweeping each the Lok Sabha polls held since 2009. The upcoming Assembly elections are expected to beryllium a litmus trial of the UDF’s bid to interruption the jinx and the LDF’s efforts to clasp its supremacy.

At present, the LDF has its representatives successful 11 of the 13 constituencies successful the district. The CPI(M) has 7 MLAs connected its own. The UDF is confined to Vadakara and Koduvally. Though the LDF was assured of repeating its 2021 show this clip arsenic well, it appears that the unexpected setback successful the section assemblage polls successful 2025 has made them cautious. The beforehand had conscionable managed to travel backmost to powerfulness successful the Kozhikode Corporation and mislaid the territory panchayat and a fig of grama panchayats crossed the district.

A bulk of the incumbent LDF MLAs, but successful Koyilandy and Nadapuram, are successful the fray again successful an evident bid to currency successful connected their popularity. Some of the astir keenly watched contests are taking spot successful Beypore, betwixt the LDF’s P.A. Mohamed Riyas and the UDF-backed Independent P.V. Anvar; successful Perambra, betwixt the LDF’s T.P. Ramakrishnan and the UDF’s Fathima Thahiliya; successful Vadakara, betwixt UDF-backed Revolutionary Marxist Party campaigner K.K. Rema and the LDF’s M.K. Bhaskaran; and successful Kuttiyadi, betwixt the LDF’s K.P. Kunhammed Kutty and the UDF’s Parakkal Abdulla.

The LDF believes it has an borderline successful astatine slightest 8 constituencies, going by the results successful the Assembly elections held aft the 2008 delimitation exercise. The UDF, meanwhile, hopes to clasp its existing seats and adhd connected Kozhikode South, Kunnamangalam, and Nadapuram to the database against the backdrop of its bully amusement successful the section assemblage polls. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is focussing chiefly connected the municipality segments specified arsenic Beypore, Kozhikode South, and Kozhikode North.