Kunnathunad Verdict 2026: Congress Outpaces CPI(M) with Solid Margin

V.P. Sajeendran of Congress secures a comfortable victory in Kunnathunad, defeating CPI(M)’s P.V. Sreenijin with a margin exceeding 21,000 votes, reflecting a strong lead throughout the counting.Kunnathunad Assembly constituency, numbered 84, lies in Ernakulam district of Kerala and falls under the Chalakudy parliamentary constituency. A Scheduled Caste (SC)-reserved seat since the 2008 delimitation, it covers rural and semi-urban areas including Kunnathunad taluk panchayats like Kunnathunad, Edathala, and parts of Muvattupuzha, with around 188,000 electors.This agrarian belt features paddy fields, rubber plantations, and migrant worker communities, blending rural livelihoods with suburban growth near Perumbavoor's wood industries. CPI(M) of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) reclaimed dominance in 2021, with Adv. P.V. Sreenijin as the current MLA. He won narrowly with 51,180 votes (33.77per cent), defeating INC's V.P. Sajendran (48,463 votes) by 2,717 votes (1.81per cent) at high turnout—reversing INC's 2016 hold.LDF's edge stems from labor support, though Twenty20's 27.64per cent surge and BJP's 4.66per cent add volatility. Key issues include farmer distress from erratic monsoons and crop losses, poor rural roads and flooding in lowlands, unemployment among youth and migrants, water scarcity despite reservoirs, waste from small industries, and demands for better healthcare, schools, and public transport to urban hubs. These challenges sustain tight LDF-INC contests amid emerging third forces.