The Nemom Assembly constituency, considered the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) gateway to the Keralam Assembly, will witness a triangular contest among the Left Democratic Front (LDF), United Democratic Front (UDF), and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2026 elections.
Keralam Education Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader V Sivankutty is aiming to retain the Nemom seat. He lost the seat in 2016 to BJP veteran O Rajagopal, marking the party's first-ever Assembly victory in the state, but reclaimed it in the 2021 elections. Sivankutty now faces a strong challenge from Keralam BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Although the CPI(M) regained the seat in 2021, the BJP has performed strongly in the last two Assembly elections. In 2021, Sivankutty defeated BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan by a margin of 3,949 votes (2.7 per cent), while in 2016 Sivankutty lost to Rajagopal by 6.1 per cent, demonstrating fluctuating electoral dynamics in the constituency.
In the run-up to the election, Sivankutty has supported development initiatives in Nemom, recently citing the Chala Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and the Karamana junction as projects completed by the LDF government in a Facebook post.
Conversely, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has repeatedly accused the LDF of failing to fulfil its promises. He is also advancing the BJP's Hindutva agenda, accusing the LDF and UDF of “disrupting the rituals” amid the Sabrimala gold theft case. Rahul Gandhi also referenced the issue in Kottayam, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the matter.
Following the BJP's victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation elections last year, the party is seriously considering its chances of winning the Nemom seat in the district. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also plays a significant role with a large cadre presence and Shakhas in Keralam.
A rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled in Nemom, which is expected to bolster Chandrasekhar's campaign.
According to the 2011 census, Christians are the second-largest religious group in Keralam's capital city. Their votes could be decisive in the elections. The BJP has made outreach attempts towards the Christian community; Chandrasekhar demanded the release of two Kerala-based nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh on human trafficking charges.
However, anti-minority sentiment against the BJP at the Centre, linked to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, may affect the party’s ability to attract Christian votes.
Chandrasekhar has faced controversy over an affidavit submitted to the Election Commission. Congress filed a complaint alleging he failed to disclose all his assets, but his nomination was accepted despite requests to reject it for discrepancies.
The BJP has alleged that Labour Department officials under V Sivankutty have been deployed for election duties in Nemom with “malafide intent,” citing the appointment of approximately 90 officials. The party lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over this issue. S Suresh also alleged that a candidate named Rajeev Kumar, whose name resembles Rajeev Chandrasekhar's, was allocated an election symbol similar to the BJP's lotus, causing voter confusion.
The UDF has nominated KS Sabarinadhan, son of former Congress leader and Keralam minister G Karthikeyan. Sabarinadhan was defeated in the previous election from the Aruvikarra seat. The Congress will draw support from Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor's popular victory over Chandrasekhar in the Lok Sabha elections, with Tharoor campaigning for Sabarinadhan.
Polling for the 2026 Keralam Legislative Assembly elections will take place on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4. Nemom is expected to be a key constituency, particularly for the BJP, as it seeks to expand its presence in the state.