THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A traditional political battleground long before its rise as Kerala’s IT suburb, Kazhakoottam has consistently witnessed fierce contests primarily between the UDF and LDF. This time, the NDA — runner-up in the last two elections — is now seeking a historic turnaround.
Heading into the 2026 assembly elections, Kazhakoottam has once again emerged as a high-profile battleground. The contest is framed around the legacy of past winners, the performance of the sitting legislator, and the sharpening polarisation between the three fronts.
What sets Kazhakoottam apart is its evolving voter profile. The constituency includes a sizeable number of IT professionals, service-sector employees, and migrants, alongside traditional coastal and suburban communities.
This mix has shifted campaign narratives away from purely ideological battles to performance-centric debates, with issues such as traffic congestion, waste management, housing, and urban infrastructure often overshadowing political rhetoric.
The CPM is banking on sitting MLA Kadakampally Surendran’s development-driven and ideological appeal, highlighting welfare schemes and infrastructure projects to retain the seat. However, his campaign faces challenges, including opposition attacks over the Sabarimala gold theft and developmental stagnation in the coastal belt.
The BJP, which has steadily grown in influence since 2016, is counting on former Union minister V Muraleedharan’s stature and organisational strength to snatch victory. The party is banking on a “silent surge” among IT professionals, gated community residents, and sections of the Nair and Ezhava communities to bridge the narrow margin that kept it out previously.
The Congress, meanwhile, has fielded T Sarathchandra Prasad, a familiar face in the district, to consolidate the anti-LDF vote. By focusing on governance lapses, cost-of-living pressures, and infrastructure bottlenecks, the UDF hopes to regain support from neutral voters who once made Kazhakoottam a Congress stronghold under M A Vaheed.
Demographically, the constituency blends traditional Ezhava and Nair bases with a large influx of young IT migrants, making Kazhakoottam one of the most volatile and closely watched seats.