Kerala Assembly Elections 2021: Historic Victory for LDF in Kerala
The 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election was held on 6 April 2021 to elect 140 members to the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly, while the results were declared on 2 May 2021.
Read More: LPG Price Today (March 15)
The election saw the Left Democratic Front (LDF) retain power with a historic mandate. The alliance secured 99 seats, improving its tally by eight seats compared with the previous election.
Read More: El Niño 2026 Warning
This result marked the first time since 1977 that a ruling alliance won consecutive terms in Kerala, breaking a long-standing pattern of alternating governments in the state.
Meanwhile, the United Democratic Front (UDF) managed to win 41 seats, which was six fewer than its tally in the previous election. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saw a decline in vote share and failed to retain its only seat.
The victory also ensured that Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Chief Minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term in office.
Kerala Legislative Assembly Structure: How Kerala’s Niyamasabha Works
The legislative body of the state, known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is a unicameral assembly consisting of 140 elected members from individual constituencies and one nominated member representing the Anglo-Indian community.
Members of the Kerala Legislative Assembly serve a five-year term, unless the assembly is dissolved earlier.
In Kerala’s assembly structure:
- 14 constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC)
- 2 constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST)
The tenure of the 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly ended on 1 June 2021.
Like other state elections across India, Kerala Assembly elections follow the first-past-the-post system, where the candidate receiving the highest number of votes wins the constituency. Voters in Kerala are also given the option to select NOTA (None Of The Above).
Kerala Political Alliances: Key Blocs in Kerala Elections
Three major alliances dominate Kerala’s political arena.
Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is a coalition of centre-left to left-wing political parties led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M). The alliance also includes the Communist Party of India (CPI) and several smaller parties.
The LDF currently governs Kerala following its victory in the 2021 elections.
United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala
The United Democratic Front (UDF) is an alliance of centrist and centre-left political parties led by the Indian National Congress (INC). The alliance was founded in 1978 by veteran Congress leader K. Karunakaran.
UDF remains the principal opposition bloc in Kerala.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Kerala is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and includes parties such as Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and other smaller regional groups.
Although the alliance has been trying to expand its political presence in the state, it has struggled to gain significant electoral success in Kerala.
Kerala Election Alliances: Major Changes Before the 2021 Kerala Polls
Several key developments reshaped alliance dynamics ahead of the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections.
One of the most notable changes was the entry of Kerala Congress (M) into the LDF alliance after it was suspended from the UDF. The faction led by Jose K. Mani joined the LDF, while another faction led by P. J. Joseph remained with the UDF.
Additionally, four new parties, including the Loktantrik Janata Dal and the Indian National League, joined the LDF coalition, strengthening the alliance’s electoral base.
Kerala Local Elections 2020: Strong Performance for LDF in Kerala
The 2020 Kerala local body elections, held in December, served as an important political indicator ahead of the assembly polls.
The LDF performed strongly, leading in 11 out of 14 district panchayats across Kerala.
The inclusion of Kerala Congress (M) in the LDF alliance also helped the ruling bloc gain traction in traditional UDF strongholds, particularly Kottayam district, where Syrian Christian voters form a significant electoral base.
Kerala Political Developments Ahead of the 2021 Kerala Elections
Several political developments unfolded in Kerala in early 2021.
In February 2021, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mani C. Kappan, who was the sitting MLA from Pala constituency, switched from the LDF to the UDF after being denied a ticket to contest from the seat.
Following the switch, he was expelled from the NCP and went on to form a new political outfit named Nationalist Congress Kerala (NCK).
Around the same period, R. Balasankar, a leader associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from Alappuzha, alleged that the BJP leadership in Kerala had entered into a secret understanding with the CPI(M) to weaken the UDF. The BJP, however, denied the claim.
Meanwhile, P. C. Thomas announced the merger of his party with the Kerala Congress faction led by P. J. Joseph, strengthening the UDF camp ahead of the polls.
Kerala Assembly Elections 2026
With the Election Commission expected to announce the next round of election dates, political parties in Kerala are once again preparing for a high-stakes contest.
Given Kerala’s unique electoral history of shifting mandates and strong political alliances, the upcoming election announcement could set the stage for another closely watched political battle in the state.
Inputs from agencies
