UDF races to finalise seat-sharing as LDF attempts to steal march on the Opposition

Seemingly chary of being outpaced by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) astatine the hustings, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) appeared to scramble connected Sunday (March 15, 2026) to finalise seat-sharing. The ruling Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) effort to bargain a march connected the UDF by announcing its candidates wrong hours of the proclamation of the Assembly elections successful Kerala seemed to person fixed an added impetus to the Opposition to finalise nominees for the April 9 polls. 

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and elder Congress person Ramesh Chennithala held a closed-door gathering with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) enactment astatine Aluva Palace successful Ernakulam. The gathering acquired value against the backdrop of reports that the IUML had demanded a higher fig of seats, including a fewer successful cardinal Kerala, successful a bid to grow the party’s governmental basal and besides show its heft successful the UDF. Moreover, the IUML reportedly weighed whether to swap seats with the Congress successful the Thiruvambadi, Pattambi, Kongadu and Kalamassery constituencies.

Emerging from the meeting, IUML nationalist wide caput P.K. Kunhalikutty declined to remark connected whether the enactment had demanded further seats. “The discussions were affirmative and precise cordial. There is nary large problem. The UDF enactment volition conscionable again connected Monday to necktie up a fewer escaped ends,” helium said. Mr. Kunhalikutty said helium would study the result of the treatment to the IUML State committee, which, helium stated, would instrumentality the last call.

‘No demands raised’

Mr. Satheesan said the IUML had raised nary demand. Mr. Chennithala said the UDF spot allocation was successful the last stage. He said different confederation partners were successful lockstep with the Congress, and determination was nary abstraction for rancour.

Congress insiders said erstwhile Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran, MP‘s, assertion that helium would contention the Assembly predetermination from Kannur had caused a hiccup successful finalising enactment candidates earlier the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Central Election Committee (CEC) headed by Madhusoodhanan Mistry met adjacent week. Moreover, the enactment faced difficulties successful choosing Assembly hopefuls, arsenic respective leaders were jockeying for seats. 

They said the KPCC had submitted 50 names to the CEC, of which astatine slightest 30, including those of elder leaders, would apt beryllium approved successful the archetypal flush of AICC discussions commencing adjacent week.