It’s a constituency capable of producing surprises. The Nemom seat in Kerala is witnessing a high-stakes, three-cornered battle in the 2026 Assembly elections.
The seat, won by the BJP in 2016, was reclaimed by the CPI(M) in 2021. It is the only Assembly seat the BJP has ever won in Kerala.
At the heart of the Left Democratic Front’s campaign is V Sivankutty, the sitting MLA and a prominent face of the CPI(M) in the region. Sivankutty aims to retain the seat the Left wrested in 2021 after a tightly fought electoral battle.
His candidacy is seen as crucial for the LDF, especially in a constituency where the BJP has invested significant political capital.
Adding another layer to this contest is the Congress-led UDF in the constituency. The Congress’s traditional support base has shown signs of erosion in recent years, helping the BJP’s steady rise in the area. The party’s choice of a relatively less influential candidate this time has further fueled debate about its strategy.
Who Is V Sivankutty?
Born at Cheruvakkal in November 1954, V Sivankutty is the son of M. Vasudevan Pillai and P. Krishnamma. He entered politics through the Students’ Federation of India (SFI).
He is currently serving as the minister for general education and labour, Kerala. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and has completed his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) course.
The Contest
The Nemom constituency is set to witness a three-cornered fight between Sivankutty of the LDF, former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, representing the NDA, and K S Sabarinadhan of the UDF.
In the 2021 Assembly election, Sivankutty secured victory after receiving 55,837 votes, about 38 per cent of the total, defeating BJP’s Kummanam Rajasekharan, who garnered 51,888 votes (35.54 per cent).
Congress candidate K Muraleedharan finished a distant third with 36,524 votes.