Published Mar 21, 2026 | 6:28 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 21, 2026 | 6:28 PM
The UDF alleged that the LDF fielded a weak candidate, NMR Razak, to help BJP's Sobha Surendran to win the polls.
Synopsis: AICC general secretary KC Venugopal alleged that the “CPI(M)-BJP agenda” was becoming increasingly evident, pointing to the Left’s decision to back independent candidate, hotelier NMR Razak.
The battle for Palakkad Assembly Constituency has taken a dramatic turn with allegations of a covert understanding between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, adding more heat to the election campaign.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan triggered the row by claiming that the CPI(M) deliberately fielded a “weak candidate” in Palakkad to benefit the BJP-led NDA.
According to him, this was part of a broader arrangement in which the BJP would extend support to the Left in multiple constituencies.
UDF candidate Ramesh Pisharody.
Confident of a UDF win, he asserted that actor-turned-politician Ramesh Pisharody is well-positioned to clinch the seat.
Echoing the charge, KC Venugopal alleged that the “CPI(M)-BJP agenda” was becoming increasingly evident, pointing to the Left’s decision to back independent candidate, hotelier NMR Razak.
Speaking to reporters in Ernakulam, he hinted that similar “understandings” could exist in a few other constituencies as well.
The allegations, however, were swiftly dismissed by NDA candidate Sobha Surendran.
She termed Satheesan’s remarks as a sign of the Congress-led UDF’s “nervousness” in the face of a possible defeat.
“If there is a weak candidate, the responsibility lies with the front that fielded them,” she said, accusing the Opposition of trying to “pre-emptively justify a loss.”
Palakkad has traditionally leaned towards the UDF since 2011, but this time the contest appears far from being straightforward.
While the UDF banks on Pisharody’s popularity, internal challenges — including controversies surrounding sitting MLA Rahul Mamkootathil — could complicate its prospects.
