Puthuppally Election Result 2026: Congress’ Chandy Oommen Dominates Opposition

Congress candidate Chandy Oommen secures a landslide victory in Puthuppally, polling over 84,000 votes and defeating CPI(M)’s K.M. Radhakrishnan by a huge margin of more than 52,000 votes.Puthuppally Assembly constituency, numbered 98, is located in Kottayam district of Kerala and falls under the Kottayam parliamentary constituency. Established in 1957 and adjusted in the 2008 delimitation, it covers Puthuppally town, panchayats like Manarcad, and surrounding rural areas in Meenachil taluk, with around 165,000 electors. This general seat features rubber-paddy farming, strong Syrian Christian communities, high literacy rates, NRI remittances, small industries, and temple-church festivals, blending agrarian roots with suburban prosperity near Kottayam's educational-medical hubs. Indian National Congress (INC) of the UDF has dominated for decades, with Chacko K. Jacob as current MLA since 2021 after a by-election triggered by Oommen Chandy's demise. Jacob won comfortably with 71,771 votes (53.68per cent), defeating CPI(M)'s Jogesh M. George (47,053 votes) by 24,718 votes (18.50per cent) at 72.26per cent turnout, continuing Chandy's legacy (2016: 63,142 votes, 11,730 margin). INC's unchallenged hold stems from family charisma, church support, and development focus against LDF labor bases and BJP's 10-12per cent rise. Key issues include rubber price volatility hurting farmers, youth migration despite jobs, monsoon floods in lowlands, poor rural roads amid traffic growth, water-electricity shortages, healthcare access gaps, and demands for irrigation upgrades, school-hospital expansions, and eco-tourism along backwaters. These sustain UDF's iron grip in this iconic, faith-driven central Kerala stronghold.