3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 4, 2026 04:55 PM IST
The BJP has scripted a historic breakthrough in Kerala, winning three Assembly seats for the first time even as the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is set to lose power after two consecutive terms. As the counting progressed, it became clear that the Congress-led UDF will oust Pinarayi Vijayan’s government and return to power after 10 years.
BJP’s victories in Nemom, Chathannoor and Kazhakoottam mark a significant expansion of its footprint in a state where it had struggled to gain electoral ground. The only instance when the BJP won a seat in Kerala was in 2016. O Rajagopal had then won the Nemom seat.
BJP in Kerala in 2026
Former Union minister V Muraleedharan won from Kazhakoottam with 51,923 votes, BB Gopakumar secured Chathannoor with 44,429 votes, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar emerged victorious from Nemom with 48,995 votes. The wins come despite repeated assertions by both the Congress and the CPI(M) during the campaign that the BJP would fail to open its account.
Reacting to the results, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the outcome was a clear response from voters. “Today, people of Nemom and Chathannoor have given a clear reply to the Congress and CPI(M). There will be two MLAs from BJP-NDA,” he said. According to Election Commission data, Gopakumar had established a lead of over 4,400 votes in Chathannoor after 14 of 16 counting rounds.
While the BJP’s gains remain modest in numbers, they stand out in a sharply polarised contest that has otherwise delivered a sweeping mandate for the Congress-led UDF, which is leading in 102 of 140 seats and is set to form the government. The LDF, on the other hand, has suffered heavy losses, with several ministers in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s cabinet defeated amid strong anti-incumbency. Vijayan himself is poised to retain Dharmadam, though with a significantly reduced margin of around 11,800 votes compared to 2021.
The LDF’s defeat also signals a broader political shift, potentially marking the first time since 1977 that no state in India will have a communist government. Against this backdrop, the BJP’s entry into the winner’s column in Kerala emerges as one of the most notable takeaways of the election, indicating a gradual but significant reshaping of the state’s political landscape.
