Manalur election results 2026: CPI(M)C Ravindranath wins Manalur seat by over 120 votes

C Ravindranath of CPI(M) secures Manalur with 126 votes, beating INC candidate TN Prathapan.Framed by Kerala's Thrissur district coastal plains and temple corridors, the Manalur Assembly constituency claims the 64th spot among the state's 140 legislative seats, vital to the Thrissur Lok Sabha region. This general seat energizes over 210,000 voters from a semi-rural blend of Hindu-Ezhava-Christian communities, sustaining turnouts around 75-76per cent, spanning Manalur and Arimpur grama panchayats plus Guruvayur's Thaikkad region in central Kerala's pilgrimage-adjacent belt. It bolsters CPI(M)'s LDF dominance, capitalizing on fishing and agrarian bases against UDF's Congress resurgence. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, CPI(M)'s Murali Perunelly powered to victory with roughly 97,378 votes at 58per cent, trouncing INC's Vijay Hari's 67,502 votes (40per cent) by 29,876 votes amid strong turnout. The 2016 shift saw Perunelly capture victory with about 81,945 votes (50per cent), defeating rivals by 19,325 votes from nearly 190,000 voters, flipping the seat to LDF after INC's prior hold. Facing 2026, Manalur's recent CPI(M) consolidation since 2016, driven by coastal welfare and rural development, confronts UDF counterattacks and BJP's outreach. Fisheries subsidies and temple tourism will shape the battle, anchoring this LDF gain in Thrissur's competitive political theater.