Union Minister Suresh Gopi expressed confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prospects for the 2026 Keralam Assembly elections, forecasting a 'surprising' outcome for the party and its allies.
Speaking on Thursday, he stated, “It is going very well. There will be a lot of surprises when the results come. With a good number of ‘lotus’ and their allies, people will be happy.”
Suresh Gopi conducted a roadshow in Dharmadam, the home constituency of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which extended from Pandyala Mukku to Pinarayi town. The actor-turned-politician had previously contributed to the BJP's historic victory in the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat during the 2024 general elections.
On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court ruled the petition challenging Suresh Gopi’s 2024 Lok Sabha election win from Thrissur as maintainable, deciding the case will proceed to trial and be heard on its merits. The petition was filed by Binoy AS, a leader of the All India Youth Federation, the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI). It alleges the use of religious symbols and sentiments during the campaign to influence voters, which, if proven, would violate the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA). The petition also claims that promises of benefits, including monetary inducements, were made to voters.
Meanwhile, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Anoop Antony, contesting from the Thiruvalla constituency for the upcoming assembly elections, expressed optimism about the party’s expansion in the state. He noted, “BJP in Kerala has always grown… In 2011, we were less than 10%; today, we have reached 20%. BJP is the only party which has grown in the last 10 years. In these elections, the BJP is expecting a huge victory, just like the last Lok Sabha elections and the recent Trivandrum Municipal Corporation elections. This election is going to be a landmark for Kerala’s politics… People have been fed up with both the UDF and the LDF… They are looking for a change.”
The Election Commission of India announced on March 15 that the 2026 Keralam Legislative Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on April 9, with vote counting scheduled for May 4. The current assembly's tenure ends on May 23.
The BJP-led NDA aims to displace the incumbent Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the 140-member Keralam Niyamasabha. The LDF has governed the state for around ten years, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan serving consecutive terms.
In the previous Keralam Legislative Assembly election, held on April 6, 2021, the LDF retained power with 99 seats, the first instance since 1977 of a ruling alliance winning consecutive terms. The United Democratic Front (UDF) secured 41 seats while the NDA's vote share declined, losing its sole seat. Following this victory, Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Chief Minister of Keralam to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.
The LDF received 41.5 per cent of the total votes, ahead of the UDF's 38.4 per cent. The NDA, led by the BJP, obtained 11.4 per cent of the votes but did not win any seats.
Among parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) was the largest with 62 seats and a 25.5 per cent vote share. The Indian National Congress (INC) won 21 seats with a comparable 25.2 per cent vote share, while the Communist Party of India (CPI) secured 17 seats. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally, won 15 seats.