The 2026 elections to the Kerala Legislative Assembly present a do-or-die situation for both the LDF and the UDF

A whole gamut of undercurrents, coupled with a conspicuously absent wave, has made the battle for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections hard to predict. With the BJP gathering strength and fault lines appearing in the traditional vote banks of the two leading fronts — the LDF and the UDF — the contest is poised for a nail-biting finish. The outcome will be critical for both major alliances. Senior journalist M.G. Radhakrishnan discusses the subterranean trends in the election with Kerala Resident Editor S. Anandan.