NewKerala.com

CPI(M) Announces 86 Seats, Vijayan to Contest in Kerala 2026 Polls

The CPI(M) has announced it will contest 86 seats in the upcoming 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from his Dharmadam constituency, while former Health Minister KK Shailaja will contest from Peravoor. The Election Commission has scheduled the single-phase polling for April 9, with vote counting on May 4. The main contest is expected between the LDF, led by CPI(M), and the UDF, led by the Congress.

Key Points: CPI(M) Candidate List for 2026 Kerala Assembly Elections

  • CPI(M) to contest 86 seats
  • 56 sitting MLAs seeking re-election
  • Pinarayi Vijayan to contest from Dharmadam
  • Elections scheduled for April 9
2 min read

CPI(M) announces candidate list for 2026 Kerala Assembly polls

CPI(M) to contest 86 seats in Kerala polls. CM Pinarayi Vijayan, KK Shailaja among candidates. Elections on April 9, results May 4.

"CPI(M) will contest in 86 seats. 56 sitting MLAs will contest again. - MV Govindan"

Thiruvananthapuram, March 15

Communist Party of India announced on Sunday that it will contest 86 seats in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, which will be held in a single phase on April 9.

CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan announced that the party will contest 86 seats in the upcoming elections, with 56 sitting MLAs seeking re-election.

"CPI(M) will contest in 86 seats. 56 sitting MLAs will contest again. The Politburo meeting decided that one member from the Politburo should contest in the election. PB member and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest in the election. CPI(M) candidates were selected in a completely democratic manner," Govindan said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from his current Dharmadam seat in northern Kannur district, and senior leader and former Health Minister KK Shailaja will contest from the Peravoor constituency in Kannur.

The 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, the Election Commission of India announced today, with the counting of votes scheduled to take place on May 4.

The Model Code of Conduct comes into place from today, setting in process elections to the 140-member State Assembly, which is also known as the Kerala Niyamasabha.

The tenure of the current assembly is scheduled to end on May 23.

The last date for filing nominations is March 23, with scrutiny of nominations on March 24 and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures on March 26.

Following the completion ennumeration excercise of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state electoral roll, the ECI released Kerala's final voter list on February 21.

According to the Kerala CEO, the revision was conducted with January 1 as the qualifying date, and a total of 2,69,53,644 voters were registered in the state through the process. The final voter list comprises 1,31,26,048 male voters, 1,38,27,319 female voters, and 227 third-gender voters. Within this total, 4,24,518 voters belong to the younger electorate of the 18-19 age group.

The Kerala CEO further mentioned that around 53,229 individuals have been deleted from the voters' list. The process of SIR was conducted from November 11, 2025, to January 30, 2026.

The main electoral contest in the State is expected between the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is also in the fray for the Assembly polls.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Good to see Shailaja Teacher contesting again! Her work during the pandemic was commendable. Wishing all candidates the best. Let's hope for a peaceful and issue-based election. The high number of young voters (4.24 lakh!) is very encouraging for democracy. 🇮🇳
A
Arun Y
With 56 sitting MLAs re-contesting, it shows some confidence in their work. But I respectfully disagree with the claim of "completely democratic" candidate selection. In many parties, including the Left, high command culture is strong. Ground-level workers often don't have a real say.
P
Priyanka N
The Model Code of Conduct is in place now. Hope all parties adhere to it strictly. Kerala elections are always a tight race between LDF and UDF. The NDA's performance will be something to watch too. As a voter, my main concerns are healthcare accessibility and cost of living.
M
Michael C
Following Kerala politics from abroad. The single-phase election on April 9th makes it simpler. The voter list statistics are impressive – nearly 2.7 crore voters! The inclusion of 227 third-gender voters is a positive step for inclusivity. Hope the turnout is high.
K
Kavitha C
Dharmadam will see Pinarayi Vijayan again. He is a strong leader, no doubt. But the election will be fought on local issues in each constituency. Performance of the sitting 56 MLAs will be scrutinized heavily. Time for some tough questions from the public! 💪

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50