Thodupuzha Election Result 2026: Apu John Joseph Wins Big for Kerala Congress

Apu John Joseph secures a commanding victory in Thodupuzha with over 84,000 votes, defeating Kerala Congress (M)’s Cyriac Chazhikadan by a massive margin of more than 44,000 votes.Thodupuzha Assembly constituency, numbered 90, is situated in Idukki district of Kerala and falls under the Idukki parliamentary constituency. Established in 1957 and adjusted in the 2008 delimitation, it encompasses Thodupuzha municipality, surrounding panchayats like Kodathipara and Manamboor, with around 192,000 electors. This general seat features rubber-cardamom plantations, spice trade, small industries, and a strong Syrian Christian population in the mid-highlands, blending rural farming with semi-urban growth along the Thodupuzha River valley. Kerala Congress (KEC), aligned with UDF, dominates via P.J. Joseph as current MLA since 2006 (with brief shifts). In 2021, he won decisively with 67,495 votes (48.63per cent), defeating KEC(M)'s Prof. K.I. Antony (47,236 votes) by 20,259 votes at 70.16per cent turnout—building on his 2016 landslide (76,564 votes, 54.08per cent) and consistent family legacy. KEC's church-backed appeal trumps LDF's CPI(M) and rising BJP (15.32per cent). Key issues include crop volatility from monsoons, poor ghat roads prone to landslides, youth unemployment amid migration, water scarcity, eco-impacts from quarrying-rubber monoculture, inadequate rural healthcare-schools, and tourism boosts for spice trails. These sustain UDF's edge in this faith-agriculture driven contest.