Kerala Assembly elections 2026: All three candidates sound confident as campaign trail heats up along coastal Kochi

Kerala Assembly elections 2026 heat up as UDF, LDF, and NDA candidates showcase confidence and campaign strategies in Kochi.

On the way to south Chellanam, the idyllic coastal stretch that marks the border between Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts, the police have set up a checkpoint to monitor vehicles criss-crossing the boundary for unauthorised movement of cash to splurge on campaign.

Not far away, the campaign of United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate and Ernakulam District Congress Committee president Mohammed Shiyas was set to begin near St. George Church, whose renovation remains stalled midway. The campaign spot could be heard before it was seen thanks to songs blaring from loudspeakers and percussion beats filling the air.

Workers in tricolour hats, carrying flags and shawls emblazoned with the Congress symbol, waited eagerly for the candidate, who arrived in an SUV nearly half an hour behind schedule. After a hurried breakfast at a supporter’s home, Mohammed Shiyas almost sprinted to the Missionaries of Charity convent nearby urged on by campaign aides conscious of the ticking clock.

“Elections to Parliament and local bodies were warning shots by the people, but the LDF failed to learn the lessons. Now, voters are determined to vote them out. They are focusing on the communal makeup of the constituency to talk up their prospects, while covering up their failure over the past decade to address basic issues like drinking water shortages and healthcare,” he said.

LDF’s K.J. Maxy during his campaign at Palluruthy. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Nearly 20 km away, at his election committee office in Thoppumpady, two-time sitting MLA and Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate K.J. Maxy appeared unruffled. Having taken a break from house visits, he had just returned after meeting Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan and actor Mammootty.