Kerala bypolls: With no sympathy factor, pure politics drives byelections in Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly seats Premium

Inconsistent political performance in Kerala bypolls influenced by sympathy waves, shaping strategies for 2026 Assembly elections.

The performance of mainstream political parties in Assembly byelections in Kerala seems to have been inconsistent and influenced by multiple factors, including sympathy waves.

However, the upcoming bypolls in Palakkad and Chelakkara is set to be purely political and may possibly shape the template for the 2026 Assembly elections in the State. These seats were vacated by Shafi Parambil of the Congress and K. Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M) after they won the Vadakara and Alathur Lok Sabha seats, respectively.

Given the chaotic political landscape, political parties will also need to evaluate their performance in the three-tier local body polls in 2025 before formulating their strategies. In 2021, since the Left Democratic Front (LDF) came to power consecutively, the State witnessed two bypolls – at Thrikkakara and Puthuppally – following the deaths of Congress leaders P.T. Thomas and Oommen Chandy.

In both instances, emotionally charged byelections resulted in victories for their family members – Uma Thomas, wife of P.T. Thomas, clinched Thrikkakara in June 2022, while Chandy Oommen, son of the former Chief Minister, secured Puthuppally in September 2023.

This pattern of sympathy-driven electoral victories was evident during the United Democratic Front’s (UDF) tenure as well. The 2015 Aruvikkara bypoll saw Congress candidate K.S. Sabarinadhan emerge victorious following the vacancy created by the death of his father and former Speaker G. Karthikeyan. While Mr. Sabarinadhan successfully retained the seat in 2016, he faced defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Similarly, in Piravom, Anoop Jacob of Kerala Congress (J) won the byelection in 2012, following the death of his father T.M. Jacob. Mr. Jacob went on to retain the constituency in both the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections.

Bypolls were held to six Assembly segments – Pala, Manjeswaram, Ernakulam, Aroor, Konni and Vattiyurkavu – in 2019 when the LDF was in power. The Pala seat became vacant after the death of Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani. This seat was won by Mani. C. Kappan, who was then with the National Congress Party, however, after trouncing Jose Tom Pulikkunnel, the KC(M)‘s nominee.