Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: V Kunhikrishnan Breaks LDF Citadel In Payyannur With Historic Win

As per Election Commission data, Independent candidate V. Kunhikrishnan has secured a decisive victory in the Payyannur constituency. He won with 76,640 votes, defeating LDF candidate T. I. Madhusoodanan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who polled 69,153 votes.

Kunhikrishnan registered a winning margin of 7,487 votes after the completion of all 14 rounds of counting. While the contest saw close competition in the earlier stages, the Independent candidate gradually built up his lead in the later rounds and maintained a consistent advantage till the end.

The voting trend indicates a clear shift in voter preference, with Kunhikrishnan managing to attract support across different sections. His steady rise during the counting process played a key role in securing the final result.

On the other hand, the defeat of T. I. Madhusoodanan marks a significant setback for the LDF in a constituency that has traditionally been considered one of its strongholds. Despite securing a substantial number of votes, the gap remained in favour of the Independent candidate in the decisive rounds.

The result is seen as one of the major political developments in this election, as Payyannur has long been known as a Left fort. With this outcome, the LDF loses its hold over the constituency, marking the end of years of dominance and making it a historic shift in the political landscape of the region.

The counting of votes for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections began at 8:00 am on Monday, marking the culmination of a high-stakes political battle among the United Democratic Front (UDF), the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project “Whom They Voted For: Celebrating The Election Festival”. This internship project is being organised aimed at helping young minds understand the electoral process of the country.)