Kerala Assembly polls 2026: Idukki election heats up over land issues

Idukki's 2026 Assembly elections focus on land issues as political parties vie for dominance amid rising tensions and campaigns.

As election campaigning enters its final stage, land-related concerns have taken centre stage in the hilly district of Idukki. The Left Democratic Front (LDF), which currently holds four out of the five seats in the district, aims to maintain its dominance, while the UDF seeks a clean sweep of all five seats. Meanwhile, in the Devikulam constituency, the entry of S. Rajendran has turned the race into a high-stakes triangular contest. Both high-profile and local leaders have highlighted land issues, title deeds, and human-animal conflict during their campaigns.

Following the release of the LDF’s poll manifesto, the UDF and various farmers’ movements raised serious allegations, claiming the LDF intends to convert the district into a forest zone. The Idukki Land Freedom Movement (ILFM) and Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA) also questioned specific recommendations within the manifesto.

Rasak Chooravelil, Chairman of the ILFM, noted that the LDF corrected its manifesto recommendations following these concerns. “This may be the first time a front has corrected its manifesto mid-campaign. It clearly indicates that they initially included anti-people recommendations,” Mr. Chooravelil said.

In Peerumade, the LDF is attempting to retain the seat through CPI candidate K. Salimkumar. The UDF has fielded Cyriac Thomas for a third time; Mr Thomas narrowly lost the last two elections. BJP nominee Ratheesh Varakumala is contesting for the NDA, aiming to increase the party’s vote share.

The Idukki constituency is witnessing a battle of prestige. The Congress has taken over the seat from the Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction, fielding Roy K. Paulose. Notably, this is the first time in years a candidate is contesting the seat under the Congress’ ‘Hand’ symbol. They face LDF heavyweight and five-time MLA Roshy Augustine (Kerala Congress (M)), who is seeking a sixth victory. Adv. Prathesh Prabha represents the NDA.

In Udumbanchola, while veteran leader M.M. Mani was initially expected to contest, the CPI(M) State Committee has fielded former MLA and district secretary K.K. Jayachandran. The UDF has once again fielded Senapathi Venu, who lost by a slim margin in 2016. NDA ally BDJS has fielded Adv. Sangeetha Vishwanathan.