Thiruvananthapuram,15 March (H.S.):
The political contest in Kerala intensified on Sunday after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. Polling for all 140 constituencies in the State will be held on April 9, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
The elections in Kerala will be held alongside Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry, setting the stage for a significant electoral contest across several regions of the country.
The Election Commission announced the schedule at a press conference held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The poll panel, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, outlined the key milestones in the election process.
According to the schedule, the notification for the Kerala Assembly polls will be issued on March 16. The last date for filing nominations is March 23, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on March 24. Candidates will have until March 26 to withdraw their nominations. Voting will take place on April 9 and the results will be declared on May 4.
Kerala has a total electorate of 2,71,11,856 voters as of March 13. This includes 2,70,57,814 general voters and 54,042 service voters, according to the Election Commission’s data.
The upcoming election is expected to witness a fierce contest among the State’s three major political fronts. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive term in power.
Despite facing political challenges, including protests by various groups and allegations raised by the opposition, the LDF is banking on its development and welfare initiatives over the past decade. Projects related to infrastructure expansion, welfare pensions and poverty alleviation are expected to feature prominently in its campaign narrative.
Meanwhile, the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) is seeking to regain power, while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) hopes to expand its presence in the State, particularly in urban constituencies. The election is expected to shape the political trajectory of Kerala for the next five years.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
