In a stunning political turnaround, UDF candidate Ullas Kovur (Revolutionary Socialist Party) scripted a historic victory in Kunnathur, winning by a massive margin of 25,314 votes and ending the Left's decades-long dominance in the constituency.
Ullas Kovur secured 81,448 votes and won with a lead of 25,314 votes against Kovoor Kunjumon (Kerala Revolutionary Socialist Party (Leninist- Marxist)) who secured 56,174 votes. NDA's Raji Prasad (Bharatiya Janata Party) secured third position polling 24,841 votes.
Having suffered defeats in the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections, Ullas' victory marks a significant comeback, defying both party expectations and prevailing political calculations. His win is also seen as a political rebuttal to the split in the RSP, which had altered the constituency's dynamics in recent years.
Kunnathur had largely remained under the influence of parties aligned with the Left for over four decades. The last time a Congress-aligned front secured the seat was in 1982. Ullas' victory thus marks the first such win for the UDF in over four decades.
The political churn began when Kovoor Kunjumon parted ways with the RSP to form the RSP (Leninist) and went on to defeat Ullas in 2016. He repeated his victory in 2021, albeit with a reduced margin of 2,790 votes, setting the stage for a closely watched contest this time.
However, the 2026 election saw a dramatic shift. Riding on strong anti-incumbency sentiment, allegations of lack of development and a focused campaign seeking a fresh mandate, Ullas gained momentum from the outset. He maintained a clear lead from the initial rounds of counting and steadily widened the gap, even in traditional Left strongholds.
In a remarkable feat, Ullas secured leads across all 10 panchayats in the constituency, while Kunjumon, who had served as MLA for five consecutive terms failed to take the lead in any segment, including his own booth and panchayat.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate Raji Prasad, despite a visible campaign, failed to make significant inroads.
The scale of Ullas' victory surpassed previous records in the constituency, including Kunjumon's 22,573-vote margin in 2006. The UDF's gains cut across regions, with notable leads in panchayats such as Mynagappally, Sasthamcotta, and Pozhuvazhi.
With this landslide win, the RSP, now aligned with the UDF, has reclaimed political relevance in Kunnathur, bringing an end to the Left-backed independent's winning streak since 2016 and reshaping the constituency's political landscape.