Voter turnout surges in Kerala Assembly Polls 2026: Can Twenty20 make a mark?

Kochi: Kerala’s Assembly elections recorded a strong voter turnout on Thursday, with a notable surge in constituencies where the Twenty20 party contested. Several of these seats witnessed intense triangular battles, contributing to higher voter participation.

Kunnathunadu, widely regarded as Twenty20’s stronghold, saw particularly intense political activity, with claims that a combined Twenty20 and BJP vote share could tilt the constituency in favour of the NDA. The party leadership treated the seat as a matter of prestige. As all three fronts intensified their campaigns, voter turnout in Kunnathunadu surged to 84.9%.

Similar trends were observed in Tripunithura and Vypin, where triangular contests also led to higher turnout. In Tripunithura, considered a BJP stronghold, polling rose to 81.4%, while Vypin recorded 80.05%.

In Ernakulam district, constituencies such as Kochi, Thrikkakara, Angamaly, Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha, and Piravom, where Twenty20 fielded candidates, also witnessed closely contested political battles, contributing to heightened electoral engagement.

An increase in voter turnout was additionally recorded in constituencies across Kottayam, Idukki, and Pathanamthitta districts, where Twenty20 contested. These included Ettumanoor, Thodupuzha, and Ranni, with polling percentages 75.65 %, 75.95% and 68.99%, respectively, all of which marked the party’s first electoral appearance in these seats.

Polling for the 140-seat Kerala Legislative Assembly was completed on Thursday evening, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.

Both the incumbent CPM-led LDF and the Opposition Congress-led UDF are eyeing to breach the 71-seat mark, while the BJP-led NDA is looking to enter the Assembly via the gateway opened in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation polls.