Congress candidate Chandy Oommen has secured a landslide victory in the Puthuppally Assembly constituency, polling over 84,000 votes and defeating CPI(M) candidate K.M. Radhakrishnan by a huge margin of more than 52,000 votes. This decisive win reinforces the Indian National Congress's stronghold in this key Kerala constituency.
Constituency Profile
Puthuppally Assembly constituency, numbered 98, is located in the Kottayam district of Kerala and falls under the Kottayam parliamentary constituency. Established in 1957 and adjusted during the 2008 delimitation, it covers Puthuppally town, panchayats like Manarcad, and surrounding rural areas in Meenachil taluk. The constituency has around 165,000 electors. This general seat features rubber-paddy farming, strong Syrian Christian communities, high literacy rates, NRI remittances, small industries, and temple-church festivals. It blends agrarian roots with suburban prosperity near Kottayam's educational and medical hubs.
Historical Dominance of Congress
The Indian National Congress, part of the United Democratic Front, has dominated Puthuppally for decades. Chacko K. Jacob is the current MLA since 2021, having won a by-election triggered by the demise of veteran leader Oommen Chandy. Jacob won comfortably with 71,771 votes (53.68 per cent), defeating CPI(M)'s Jogesh M. George (47,053 votes) by 24,718 votes (18.50 per cent) at a 72.26 per cent turnout, continuing Chandy's legacy. In 2016, Chandy had won with 63,142 votes and a margin of 11,730 votes.
Factors Behind Congress's Unchallenged Hold
The Congress party's unchallenged hold on Puthuppally stems from several factors, including the charisma of the Chandy family, strong support from the church, and a focus on development. This contrasts with the Left Democratic Front's labor bases and the Bharatiya Janata Party's 10-12 per cent vote share rise. Key local issues include rubber price volatility affecting farmers, youth migration despite job opportunities, monsoon floods in lowlands, poor rural roads amid traffic growth, water and electricity shortages, healthcare access gaps, and demands for irrigation upgrades, school and hospital expansions, and eco-tourism development along backwaters. These issues sustain the UDF's iron grip in this iconic, faith-driven central Kerala stronghold.
Election Results 2026 Overview
In the broader 2026 election landscape, Vijay's TVK party has emerged as a formidable force in Tamil Nadu, while the BJP may oust Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and retain Assam. The Puthuppally result underscores the Congress's resilience in Kerala despite national challenges.
