Kerala Assembly Election 2026: Ruling Alliance LDF Announces Candidate List

Key Points:

On March 15, 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections across four states and one Union Territory. During a press conference held in New Delhi, the ECI declared the poll dates for general elections in Assam, Keralam (formerly known as Kerala), Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced, “Assam and Kerala will vote in a single phase on April 9. The UT of Puducherry will also go to the polls on April 9. In Tamil Nadu, all 234 seats will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23.”

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He further stated that for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, polling will be held on April 23 and 29, 2026. The first phase will cover 152 seats, while the remaining 142 seats will go to the polls in the second phase.

The results for the highly awaited Assembly elections in all four states and the Union Territory will be announced on May 4, 2026.

As the states gear up for the polling days, Kerala, which recently received approval from the Union Cabinet to rename the state to Keralam, is set to elect 140 members of its Legislative Assembly on April 9, 2026. With less than a month left before the election, the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the current ruling alliance in Kerala, announced its list of candidates within a couple of hours following the ECI press conference.

Binoy Viswam, CPI state secretary, announced the list of 25 candidates on March 15, 2026. The list also excludes the names of six sitting MLAs: P.S. Supal, E.K. Vijayan, V. Sasi, E.S. Jayalal, former minister E. Chandrasekharan, and Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar. According to the CPI, the decision to deny tickets to the six leaders was taken based on the party’s rule of rotating leadership.

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After the ECI press conference, CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan announced the party’s list of 81 candidates. The list includes 75 party members and six independent candidates. Current Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the oldest candidate from the party, will contest from the Dharmadam constituency in Kannur district. According to reports, the CPI(M) has nominated several of its incumbent ministers for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.

The ruling LDF’s opposition, the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP are yet to announce their candidate lists. Kerala Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan stated, “The UDF candidates for the upcoming Legislative Assembly election will be declared within 24 hours. We have pointed out the drawbacks of the Left government. It is 25 days to end misrule in Kerala.”

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the saffron party is likely to declare its candidate list “within a day.”

As per the schedule announced by the ECI, the final date for submitting nominations is March 23, 2026, while the scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for March 24, 2026. The last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is March 26, 2026.

In the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, the CPI(M)-led LDF emerged victorious by winning 99 seats, while the UDF secured 41 seats. The NDA, led by the BJP, lost its only seat. The tenure of the current Kerala Legislative Assembly will conclude on May 23, 2026.

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