Ramesh Pisharody has taken an early lead in Palakkad as counting of votes progresses on Monday, positioning the UDF ahead in one of Kerala's most closely watched constituencies in the 2026 Assembly elections.
As of 12:20 pm at the Victoria College counting centre, Ramesh Pisharody has secured 54,482 votes, leading by 12,462 votes over NDA candidate Sobha Surendran, who has polled 42,020 votes. LDF-backed Independent N.M.R. Razak trails in third place with 26,828 votes.
Palakkad (Constituency No. 56), long viewed as a bellwether seat, has emerged as a critical test of Kerala's shifting political landscape, with a triangular contest replacing its traditional bipolar dynamic.
The 2026 campaign was marked by high-profile exits, legal controversies, and the aftershocks of the 2024 by-election, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest among three prominent candidates.
Ramesh Pisharody - UDF (Indian National Congress)
A popular film actor and television personality, Pisharody was fielded to project a "clean image" following the exit of former MLA Rahul Mamkootathil. The UDF has relied on his mass appeal to retain its foothold in the constituency.
Sobha Surendran - NDA (Bharatiya Janata Party)
A senior BJP leader known for her aggressive campaigning style, Surendran has been central to the party's push to convert Palakkad into a breakthrough seat, building on its narrow loss in 2021.
N.M.R. Razak - LDF (Independent, backed by CPI[M])
A businessman with local influence and a former Congress sympathiser, Razak represents the LDF's strategy of fielding Independents to cut into the UDF vote base.
The road to this contest has been turbulent. The UDF faced a leadership crisis after Mamkootathil's expulsion over serious allegations, prompting a candidate reset. Meanwhile, allegations of cash-for-votes targeting the BJP surfaced on the eve of polling, which the party dismissed as fabricated.
Historically, Palakkad has seen tightening margins. In 2021, BJP's E. Sreedharan narrowly lost by 3,859 votes, elevating the constituency to a priority seat for the party. The LDF, once dominant, has struggled in recent elections, often finishing third.
Key issues during the campaign included the Waqf land dispute, infrastructure delays such as the stalled KSRTC bus terminal modernisation, and the persistent waste management crisis in the municipality.
With a voter turnout of around 78%, the early trend places the UDF in front, though counting remains underway and margins are expected to fluctuate.