PALAKKAD: Namesake candidates — often independents with minimal campaign visibility — played a disproportionately significant role in several closely fought contests in the 2026 assembly elections, emerging as unlikely game-changers and, in some cases, altering the fate of major political parties.
The most dramatic instance was witnessed in the Chittur constituency in Palakkad, where the presence of an independent candidate sharing a near-identical name with the LDF nominee cost the front a crucial seat. LDF candidate V Murugadas was defeated by UDF candidate Sumesh Achuthan by a margin of 6,510 votes. However, independent candidate P Murugadas, a former government employee, secured 6,984 votes, exceeding the victory margin and effectively reshaping the electoral outcome.
LDF leaders have pointed out that the similarity in names, compounded by comparable election symbols — a ring allotted to the LDF candidate and a necklace to the independent — led to confusion among voters, particularly in a constituency with a significant Tamil-speaking population and a tightly contested political environment. The independent candidate could not be reached for comment despite multiple attempts over the phone.
A similar pattern, though less decisive, was observed in Manalur in Thrissur district. LDF candidate and former education minister Prof C Raveendranath scraped through with a slender margin of 126 votes against UDF’s T N Prathapan, a former MP. Notably, a namesake of Prathapan polled 184 votes, while a namesake of the LDF candidate, K Raveendranath, secured 234 votes. In addition, NOTA accounted for 676 votes, further underscoring how marginal vote diversions could have altered the final outcome in such a tightly fought contest.
In Azhikode in Kozhikode district, LDF’s K V Sumesh retained the seat by a narrow margin of 349 votes against IUML candidate Kareem Cheleri. Here too, namesake candidates made their mark. Cheleri had two namesakes — V V Abdul Kareem and Kareem Chandroth — who together secured 350 votes. Similarly, the LDF candidate had two namesakes, K Sumesh Kumar and T P Sumesh, who collectively polled 230 votes. NOTA in the constituency received 576 votes, significantly higher than the victory margin.
In Kazhakootam, NDA candidate and former union minister for state V Muraleedharan won the election by a margin of 428 votes defeating LDF’s Kadakampally Surendran, who had a namesake K Surendran (97 votes). Notably, 981 NOTA were registered there.
Five Anvars in Beypore!
In Beypore, there were five persons with the name Anwar (with different spellings) contesting the elections. Though PWD minister P A Mohamed Riyas won the seat with a comfortable 7,487 votes, UDF candidate PV Anvar’s four namesakes collectively secured 1,505 votes. Meanwhile Riyas’ namesake won 308 votes.