KOCHI: The assembly poll 2026 is seeing the Jacobite Church flexing its muscle. The end result: the UDF and LDF field candidates in places where the community is in the majority. According to the latest list of candidates released by the fronts, UDF has fielded a larger number of candidates compared to LDF. It is four against two.
While UDF has fielded Jacobite candidates in Piravom, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam and Idukki, LDF has given Perumbavoor and Angamaly to the community. If the sources are to be believed, Perumbavoor is the main arena where the Jacobites’ strength in numbers will play a large role in deciding the winner, followed by Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam.
“Piravom is a sure shot seat for the UDF since Anoop Jacob is well entrenched there. Even the Twenty20 candidate Eldho Abraham, who is also a Jacobite, will not make much impact,” a prominent lay leader of the Jacobite church told TNIE. Compared to the Jacobites, the number of candidates from the Orthodox church is four, out of which three have been fielded by UDF, while one has been nominated by LDF.
According to the Jacobites, the focal point in this assembly poll is the issues that the church has been facing for decades. The church has been sore over the non-passing of the Church Bill, which the LDF government had promised. However, the non-fulfilment of the promise reflected in the results of the recently held LSG polls.
The Jacobite faction lost 60 churches during the first Pinarayi Vijayan government, and it has left a gaping wound, said another lay leader. Though the church is grateful to the LDF for bringing the Cemetery Act, the members feel that the state government has yet to fulfil the promise made by the CM.
Meanwhile, another player besides the UDF and LDF has joined the fray in bagging the Jacobite votes. The recent meeting initiated by T20 president Sabu Jacob between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Moran Mor Ignatius Aprem II has been noted by the community members. “We want the church cases to come to an end. It is these undercurrents Sabu Jacob is trying to make the most of the existing situation,” added a lay leader.
Jacobites in fray
Perumbavoor: Basil Paul (LDF)
Piravom: Anoop Jacob (UDF)
Kothamangalam: Shibu Thekkumpuram (UDF)
Muvattupuzha: Mathew Kuzhalnadan (UDF)
Angamaly: Saju Paul (LDF)