Punalur Election Results 2026: CPI’s C. Ajayaprasad defeats IUML’s Noushad Younus by 21,529 votes

In Kerela’s Punalur, CPI’s C. Ajayaprasad received 71,944 votes, defeating IUML’s Noushad Younus by 21,529 votes. IUML’s Noushad Younus received 50,415 votes. The constituency is a general seat covering Punalur town and surrounding rural panchayats. The region is shaped by rubber plantations, cashew farms, and forested hill areas, which play a key role in its political and economic landscape.In the 2021 assembly elections, CPI candidate PS Supal won the seat with 80,428 votes, accounting for 54.99 per cent of the vote share. He defeated IUML candidate Abdurahman Randathani, who secured 43,371 votes (29.66 per cent), with a margin of 37,057 votes. BJP candidate Ayoor Murali polled 20,069 votes, while voter turnout stood at 71.79 per cent.Punalur has remained a strong LDF bastion, with local issues closely tied to agrarian and plantation-based livelihoods. The constituency continues to face recurring challenges such as flooding from the Kallada River, which damages crops and affects rural settlements.Other key concerns include poor rural road connectivity affecting farm exports, youth unemployment despite Gulf remittances, and irregular water supply along with sanitation gaps. Residents also report overburdened primary health centres, illegal quarrying polluting rivers, and monsoon-related power outages.Additional issues such as rising land prices impacting small farmers, traffic congestion near markets, and inadequate public transport continue to affect daily life in the region.