Kerala's Grassroots Democracy Gets Colorful Makeover
Kerala is witnessing an extraordinary display of democratic diversity as the state prepares for local body elections from December 9 to 11, 2025. The electoral landscape has been transformed by an unlikely mix of candidates that includes the state's first woman IPS officer, a popular porotta maker, and the real-life inspiration behind the blockbuster movie Manjummel Boys.
Political Heavyweights and Unconventional Contenders
In Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP has fielded former DGP (Fire and Rescue) Sreelekha, who recently joined the party as a state vice-president. She is contesting from the Sasthamangalam division, strategically located near the Congress state headquarters. Political circles are buzzing with speculation that she could become the mayoral candidate if the BJP secures majority in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation.
"The party has given me a chance to work at the grassroots level. Corruption-free governance and developed Thiruvananthapuram is our slogan. The aim is to win the elections," stated Sreelekha, whose career path includes stints as a college lecturer and bank employee before joining the police force.
More than 200 kilometers away, in the Kakkanad division of Thrikkakara municipality, Naisya Latheef represents a completely different background. Known for her skill in making porottas at a roadside thattukada (eatery), she is the Congress candidate facing the unique challenge of connecting with voters in high-rise apartments.
"My division has 1,135 voters and more than half of them live in high-rises. Many of them are familiar with me. They have seen me making porotta in the evenings, day after day," Latheef explained, adding that she balances campaigning in the mornings with her porotta-making duties from 4 pm to 11 pm.
Cinematic Connections and Social Warriors
The election narrative takes an interesting turn in Ernakulam's Eloor municipality, where the Congress has nominated Subash Chandran, whose miraculous escape from the Guna Caves in Kodaikanal in 2006 inspired the 2024 superhit film Manjummel Boys.
"I have been a Congress worker for years. Even before the movie was released, I was a familiar face in Eloor and its cultural activities. However, I don't want to attribute my candidature to the movie's success," Chandran emphasized.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has its own interesting candidates, including actor Poojappura Radhakrishnan from the Jagathi division of Thiruvananthapuram. Known for his roles in Drishyam 2 and Lion, Radhakrishnan represents Kerala Congress (B), led by actor-turned-minister K B Ganesh Kumar.
Another notable Left candidate is CPI(M)'s Deepa Suresh, a member of the Haritha Karma Sena - the state's army of women sanitation workers. Contesting from Pangappara division in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Suresh represents approximately 33,000 Sena members who collect non-biodegradable waste door-to-door across Kerala.
"We need no introduction as every household in the ward is familiar with me. I know every house and its members. Both voters and the Sena members know each other. Many Sena members are contesting the elections this time," Suresh noted, highlighting her four-year experience with the sanitation initiative.
Breaking Barriers and Political Comebacks
The Congress has broken new ground by fielding Arunima S Kurup, a transwoman and state general secretary of its student wing KSU, from Vayalar division of Alappuzha district panchayat. In another progressive move, the party has nominated Amaya Prasad, also a transwoman, from Pothancode division of Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat.
This election also marks the return of four former MLAs to grassroots politics. Former MLA Sabarinath is the Congress's star candidate in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, while another ex-MLA of the party, Anil Akkara, is contesting from Adattu panchayat, his former political turf.
On the Left front, senior CPI(M) leader and former MLA K C Rajagopal is contesting from Mezhuveli panchayat, where he served as president in the 1980s. R Lathadevi of the CPI, wife of Civil Supplies minister G R Anil, is the LDF candidate in Chadayamangalam division of Kollam district panchayat.
The local body elections, featuring 72,005 candidates overall, serve as a crucial testing ground for both the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) ahead of next year's Assembly elections. The diverse candidate profiles reflect Kerala's evolving political landscape where professional achievements, social service, and popular recognition are becoming significant factors in electoral politics.
