Will BJP Make Nemom Its Fortress in the Kerala Assembly Election 2026 with Rajeev Chandrasekhar as Its Guardian?

The polling for the Kerala Assembly Election 2026 took place on April 9, 2026, and since then, the state has been gearing up to witness the formation of the next government.

The three fronts—the CPM-led LDF, Congress-led UDF, and the BJP’s NDA are set for a close contest ahead of the declaration of results on May 4, 2026. One of the key constituencies in the state is the Nemom seat in southern Kerala.

The Nemom seat is seen as a trump card for the saffron party, but the question remains whether it will turn into a victory card for the BJP or not.

For the 2026 Assembly election in the state, the BJP has fielded its state party president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, against incumbent MLA V. Sivankutty of the CPI(M). The Nemom seat became an entry point for the BJP in the 2016 Assembly election, when the party secured its first victory in the state in decades.

See Also: Who is Most Likely to Win the Kerala Assembly Election 2026? Here’s What the Manorama News–C Voter Survey Predicts

BJP candidate O. Rajagopal won the Nemom seat against CPI(M) candidate V. Sivankutty with a clear margin of over 8,000 votes. Rajagopal secured 67,813 votes, while Sivankutty finished as the runner-up with 59,142 votes.

The 2026 contest will see BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the fray against V. Sivankutty and the INC’s K. S. Sabarinadhan. According to Onmanorama, the Nemom seat has become crucial in determining whether the contest will be bipolar or triangular.

The seat saw a significant boost for the saffron party in the 2025 local body polls. The BJP emerged as a strong third force in the state, winning 15 out of 23 wards, up from its previous tally of 13. The Congress-led UDF secured 38.81%, while the CPM-led LDF received 33.45% in the local polls.

The contest for Nemom has previously been predominantly bipolar, with a constant shift between the LDF and the UDF. The BJP’s entry in Nemom was regarded as a turning point in the state’s political landscape, marking the emergence of a third force after decades of LDF–UDF supremacy.

On May 4, 2026, the deciding factor will be whether the CPI(M) retains its hold or whether the BJP makes a comeback in Kerala, turning the Nemom seat into its fortress. As of 9 a.m. on counting day, early trends suggest that the UDF is leading in 27 seats, while the ruling LDF leads in 15, and the emerging third force, the BJP, is ahead in 5 seats.