Marking the start of the 2026 Assembly elections, Kerala headed to the polling booths on Thursday. Elections will be held in the 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala which will see around 2.71 crore voters will decide the fate of the 883 candidates.
While the battle is mostly a two-pronged one in the state with voters traditionally deciding between the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), this time the BJP is projecting itself as a viable alternative to both fronts, buoyed by its performance in the local body polls.
As per opinion polls, the UDF is likely to come to power, edging out the LDF. As for the BJP, most pre-poll surveys predict 0-3 seats, which could be one of the party’s best performances in the state.
However, the cash-for-votes row involving Palakkad constituency candidate Shobha Surendran and the controversial remarks made by several party candidates have cast a shadow over the BJP’s dreams.
There was a huge uproar in the state after Shobha, one of the three candidates who is tipped to win the elections, was faced with allegations that she paid money for votes. Footage showed an aide of Shobha offering something to an elderly woman, which is later shown as Rs 500 notes. Footage of Shobha Surendran, who realised that the footage was being filmed, attacking them, is also being circulated.
On realising that the video was being shot, Shobha is seen getting out of her car and arguing with a few men who had shot the video. She later claimed that she got out of the car as one of the men made "sexually harassing gestures" at her.
There are also allegations that the BJP and Shobha distributed saris to women in the constituency. The Congress has filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the Palakkad SP, stating that notes and saris were distributed for votes.
Other BJP leaders, too, were embroiled in controversies. B Gopalakrishnan, a senior leader in Guruvayur constituency, sparked a major row after remarking that Guruvayur, despite being a temple city, did not have a Hindu MLA for a long time. A case was registered over the controversial remark against him, but soon a hoarding popped up in Guruvayur listed the names of the MLAs who were in the Guruvayur constituency since 1977. The UDF and LDF had attacked the hoardings as attempts to spread communalism.
The party also faced intense scrutiny after BJP leader and actor Devan was allegedly seen arriving at a wholesale distribution establishment in Vadanappally to order food kits.