Kerala polls 2026: Nemom turns into high-voltage BJP vs CPM battle

Buoyed by the first Corporation victory in the recently concluded Kerala local body elections, the BJP is gearing up for a high-stakes contest in Nemom, the constituency that gave the party its first and only MLA in the state in 2016.

State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who had declared his candidature from Nemom well ahead of the official election announcement, is aiming for a decisive victory. The party sees Nemom as a symbolic as well as strategic battleground in its efforts to expand its footprint in Kerala.

Also watch: Assam polls 2026: Golaghat tea workers protest delayed wages, threaten boycott  

However, sitting MLA V Sivankutty of the CPM, fondly known as ‘Sivankuttyannan’ among locals, has dismissed the BJP’s claims as exaggerated. He expressed confidence that the party would not be able to reopen its account in the constituency.

Sivankutty also accused the Congress of engaging in “adjustment politics” with the BJP in Nemom, pointing out that the party is yet to announce its candidate. The CPM has long maintained that a similar tacit understanding in 2016 helped BJP veteran O Rajagopal secure victory.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Sivankutty reclaimed the seat for the Left Democratic Front (LDF), fulfilling Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s assertion that the BJP’s lone presence in the Assembly would be eliminated.

Riding on his 2021 win, Sivankutty is aiming to retain Nemom, highlighting his commitment to secular values and his opposition to communal politics. He has also thrown down a challenge to Chandrasekhar for an open debate, inviting a comparison of development in Nemom over the past five years with that during Rajagopal’s tenure from 2016 to 2021.

Meanwhile, Chandrasekhar has maintained that the BJP’s focus extends beyond Nemom, stressing that all 140 constituencies in Kerala are equally important for the NDA.

Campaigning has already picked up pace in the constituency. Sivankutty began his campaign on Sunday night, just after the election schedule was revealed, while Chandrasekhar began his campaign with a roadshow in Tirumala on Monday night.