Published May 06, 2026 | 10:00 AM ⚊ Updated May 06, 2026 | 10:00 AM
UDF's Usha Vijayan (L) and IUML's Fathima Thahiliya
Synopsis: Kerala’s 2026 Assembly elections saw 11 women MLAs elected, marking a modest yet crucial presence. From seasoned leaders like Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Osman to fresh entrants such as Fathima Thahiliya, Vidya Balakrishnan, and K.A. Thulasi, victories across traditional Left bastions signal generational shifts. Despite under 10% representation, women leaders are reshaping Kerala’s political landscape with renewed confidence and visibility.
When Rahul Gandhi, speaking at an election rally in Puthuppally on 31 March said, “we are looking forward to the day when we have a woman chief minister in Kerala” it quickly ignited a wave of online trolling against the Congress party.
Left-leaning cyber handles mocked the statement, asking whether figures like Uma Thomas or Bindu Krishna were being projected as future chief ministers, subtly implying that women leaders in Congress were unlikely to rise that far.
But politics often moves faster than trolls and thoughts. As the results of the 4 May elections unfold, Kerala has elected 11 women members to the new Assembly.
While women still remain under 10 percent of the total strength, the outcome marks a visible presence that cannot be ignored. With seasoned voices like Veena George and K.K. Shailaja missing from this term, a new generation is stepping forward- names like Fathima Thahiliya, Remya Haridas, Vidya Balakrishnan and others now entering a fresh political phase.
Ramya Haridas
Two-time former MP Remya Haridas, who contested from the Chirayinkeezhu constituency in Thiruvananthapuram, faced significant internal opposition from the begining. Several local leaders in Chirayinkeezhu resisted her candidature and even wrote to the AICC, demanding that she be replaced with a local candidate.
Despite this, her candidature was backed by senior Congress leader Adoor Prakash. Haridas, who primarily built her political career in Chelakkara, entered the constituency as an outsider and carried the burden of earlier criticism following her defeat in the 2021 by-election in Chelakkara.
Defying both internal dissent and electoral expectations, Remya Haridas secured a narrow victory from Chirayinkeezhu with a margin of 1,422 votes. She defeated CPI candidate Manoj B Edamana, who polled 55,411 votes.
Notably, since its formation in 2011, the Chirayinkeezhu constituency has consistently favored the CPI, making her victory a politically significant breakthrough that also offers renewed confidence to local Congress leadership.
Also Read: Kerala CM race: Congress high command to meet in Delhi to untangle leadership knot
Bindu Krishna
Senior Congress leader Bindu Krishna’s victory in the Kollam Assembly constituency comes as a sweet comeback. She won with a commanding majority of 16,830 votes, polling 63,416 votes. Her main rivals, LDF candidate S. Jayamohan secured 46,586 votes, while NDA candidate Dr. Pratap Kumar N received 18,537 votes.
The win carries added significance given her narrow defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections, where LDF candidate actor M. Mukesh had edged past her by just 2,072 votes, one of the smallest victory margins that year.
Kollam, traditionally considered an LDF stronghold with a significant Ezhava voter base, has never been an easy battleground for the UDF.
However, Bindu Krishna’s consistent groundwork paid off this time. Her strong organisational connect, coupled with unified support from within the party- especially given her role as a former DCC president in Kollam played a crucial role in turning the tide in her favour.
Shanimol Osman
Shanimol Osman of the Congress has wrested back the Aroor seat in Alappuzha district from CPI(M)’s sitting MLA Daleema, winning by 9,324 votes. Osman secured 74,469 votes against Daleema’s 65,145, while P. S. Jyothis of the BDJS came third with 20,334 votes, a slight rise from 17,479 in 2021.
The result reverses the 2021 outcome, when Daleema had defeated Osman by 7,013 votes, a margin that had already dropped sharply from CPI(M)’s 38,519-vote win through A. M. Ariff in 2016.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader K. C. Venugopal had led the segment by 11,016 votes, hinting at a shifting trend.
Aroor, long seen as a Left bastion, turning in favour of Congress marks a notable shift. Osman is also being seen as a potential leader, alongside Bindu Krishna and Uma Thomas and is viewed as a probable cabinet pick as well.
Kerala Congress MLA Uma Thomas
Uma Thomas was widely seen as a certain win for the Congress, with Thrikkakara long regarded as a party stronghold. She delivered a commanding victory, winning by a margin of 50,211 votes and polling 83,375 votes.
The CPI(M) had fielded grassroots leader Pushpa Das, while the NDA-backed Twenty20 candidate influencer Akhil Marar secured 21,424 votes.
Uma Thomas first entered the Assembly in the 2022 bypoll following the death of her husband, P. T. Thomas, when she boosted the Congress vote share significantly and won by over 25,000 votes.
Her latest victory comes just months after a serious fall at Kaloor stadium that left her hospitalised for an extended period, making the win even more notable.
Also Read: Kerala verdict hits LDF where it hurts most: Cabinet faces voter backlash
K A Thulasi
UDF’s sweeping victory in Kerala was powered not just by high-profile faces but also by a set of relatively lesser-known leaders who turned first-time Assembly entrants by toppling seasoned political heavyweights.
In Kongad constituency in Palakkad reserved for Scheduled Castes, Congress leader K A Thulasi scripted one of the most striking upsets. She unseated sitting MLA and CPI(M)’s prominent face K Shanthakumari — an experienced lawyer-turned-politician by 3,706 votes, securing 62,734 votes in total.
Thulasi, a state general secretary of the Congress and a history professor, entered the fray with strong organisational backing and the support network of her husband, two-time Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan.
The contest in Kongad was also unique, with all three major fronts fielding women candidates, including BJP’s Renu Suresh.
Long considered a CPI(M) bastion since 2011- when Shanthakumari had won by a commanding 27,219 votes with a 49% vote share, the seat saw a dramatic shift this time. The UDF further consolidated its chances by bringing in influential CPI(M) rebel P K Sasi into its fold, adding crucial ground-level support to Thulasi’s campaign.
Vidya Balakrishnan
A similar story of disruption unfolded in Elathur, where Vidya Balakrishnan, a lawyer and former Kozhikode corporation councillor clinched victory for the Congress with a margin of 12,162 votes.
Her win came at the expense of Forest Minister A K Saseendran, a veteran who had held the constituency since 2011.
The contest was further complicated by a split within the NCP, with A K Saseendran contesting under NCP (SP) and P K Saseendran entering the fray separately, alongside BJP’s T Devadas.
Amid this fractured opposition, Vidya emerged as a new face in the Assembly, capitalising on the divisions to deliver a decisive result.
In Mananthavady, Usha Vijayan added to the UDF’s tally with a convincing win over CPI(M) stalwart O R Kelu, who had represented the constituency since 2016. Vijayan secured 77,425 votes and defeated Kelu by 10,543 votes, marking a significant political shift in the constituency.
Before Kelu’s tenure, the seat had been held by Congress leader P K Jayalakshmi, and Vijayan’s victory signals a return of the constituency to the party fold under a new leadership.
Together, their victories underline how a cohort of fresh entrants and local leaders played a decisive role in the UDF’s broader success.
Fathima Thahiliya, who once challenged her own party leadership over sexual harassment allegations has scripted a historic win in Perambra in Kozhikode. The 34-year-old advocate is set to became the first woman MLA from the IUML, defeating CPI(M) veteran T P Ramakrishnan by 5,087 votes (81,429 to 76,342) in a long-standing Left bastion.
An emerging IUML leader and former MSF national vice-president, Thahiliya had earlier faced backlash and removal from posts after raising harassment claims. Her return was questioned, but she rebuilt her political career through activism, including her role in Haritha and as a Muslim Youth League state secretary.
Her candidacy itself marked a shift for the IUML, which fielded only two women in 2026.
Despite intense cyber abuse and scrutiny over her identity as a hijab-wearing woman, she drew strong support from women and youth, turning her campaign into a symbol of change in a male-dominated space.
Also Read: Ground beneath them shifted: Kerala’s leaders pay the price
Vadakara MLA and RMP leader KK Rema standing next to a statue of her late husband and RMP leader TP Chandrasekharan. (Supplied)
In one of the UDF’s most closely watched contests, K. K. Rema (55) of the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) secured a victory with a margin of 14,862 votes. The result was announced on the martyrdom anniversary of her husband, T. P. Chandrasekharan, who was killed in 2012 after leaving the CPI(M) to form the RMPI.
Rema, who had lost in 2016, made a comeback in 2021 with UDF support, defeating the LDF by 7,491 votes. This time, she faced LDF-backed RJD candidate M. K. Bhaskaran (68), while the BJP fielded K. Dileep (50). The presence of two other candidates with similar names is also believed to have impacted her vote share.
Geetha Gopi
CPI leader Geetha Gopi, who served as an MLA from 2011 to 2021 has made a successful comeback, overcoming a strong anti-incumbency trend.
Congress candidate Adv. Sunil Laloor finished second, while sitting MLA C C Mukundan- who switched from CPI to BJP after being denied a ticket slipped to third, a move that had caused internal friction within the party.
Despite this, the LDF’s organisational strength and previous vote margins worked in Geetha Gopi’s favour.
Meanwhile, in Attingal, CPI(M)’s O S Ambika retained the seat with a margin of 13,375 votes against BJP’ P Sudheer, though lower than her 31,636-vote victory margin in 2021. RSP’s Santhosh Bhadran contested as the UDF candidate.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev).
