Manjeshwaram assembly constituency in Kerala gears up for another fierce battle

The Manjeshwaram assembly constituency in Kasaragod district, which shares a border with Karnataka, is widely considered one of the most high-profile and fierce electoral battlegrounds in Kerala, primarily due to the intense three-way competition between the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF). However, the main contest is between the UDF and the NDA.

While former BJP state president K Surendran is contesting for the NDA once again, the current MLA and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) nominee AKM Ashraf is in the fray for the UDF, seeking to retain the seat. CPM’s K R Jayananda is the LDF candidate here to thwart the fortunes of both the UDF and NDA.

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The constituency is particularly famous for the razor-thin margins and the strong presence of the BJP, which has repeatedly come close to winning the seat. The BJP has maintained its presence in the constituency since 2011. Considering the history of the last four elections, it is clear that victories and defeats have occurred here with very small majorities. In 2006, C. H. Kunjambu, who contested as a CPM candidate, defeated BJP’s Narayana Bhat by just 4,829 votes. In 2011, IUML’s P.B. Abdul Razak defeated BJP candidate K. Surendran by 5,828 votes. In the 2016 Assembly election, IUML’s P.B. Abdul Razak won against the BJP’s K. Surendran by a mere 89 votes. In 2021, IUML’s AKM Ashraf defeated BJP’s K Surendran by 745 votes.

The BJP camp hopes to turn the last defeat into a victory when K. Surendran contests from Manjeswaram again in 2026. Unlike the 2021 elections, Surendran, who contested from Konni as well, is focusing only on Manjeshwaram this time. Surendran and BJP workers are actively campaigning in the constituency, meeting voters visiting houses and conducting road shows and street meetings.

Ashraf has also been actively engaging with voters from all walks of life in the constituency, highlighting the development work implemented during his tenure. However, Ashraf faces additional challenges this time. A former League leader, Kannur Abdulla, who is unhappy with IUML leaders over a financial dispute, has filed his nomination. The entry of the SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) and a potential independent candidate from the Konkani Latin Christian Association (a group with ~7,000 voters) threatens to disrupt traditional UDF votes.

The LDF is actively in the fray in the Manjeshwaram constituency, positioning itself as a significant contender in a traditionally UDF-BJP-dominant battleground. Its candidate, K.R. Jayananda, is a member of the CPM Kasaragod District Secretariat. His nomination initially faced some opposition from local DYFI units and party workers in areas like Bayar, Paivalike, and Uppala, who launched a signature campaign advocating for Shanavas Padur instead.

The electoral battle in Manjeswaram is attracting national attention, driven by the candidacy of high-profile BJP leader K. Surendran.