In Kerala's Varkala Assembly constituency, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate V Joy secured a victory in the 2026 elections, receiving 55,365 votes. He defeated Indian National Congress candidate Varkala Kahar, who garnered 53,315 votes, by a margin of 2,050 votes.
Constituency Overview
Varkala is a general seat located in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. It encompasses the Varkala Municipality and several coastal panchayats. The region is renowned for its famous cliffs, tourism, fishing communities, and cashew industries, which collectively shape its political landscape.
Previous Election Results
The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is V Joy from CPI(M), who was elected in 2021 with 68,816 votes, constituting 50.89 per cent of the vote share. He defeated INC's B.R.M. Shafeer, who received 50,995 votes (37.71 per cent), by a margin of 17,821 votes. The BDJS candidate S Aji secured 11,214 votes (8.29 per cent) in an election that saw a voter turnout of 70.23 per cent.
Candidates in 2026
For the 2026 elections, the participating candidates were Adv V Joy from CPI(M), Varkala Kahar from INC, and Adv Smitha Sundaresan from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Key Issues in Varkala
Several critical issues dominate the political discourse in Varkala. These include coastal erosion that threatens the famous cliffs and beaches, poor drainage systems leading to urban flooding, and high youth unemployment despite the presence of tourism and Gulf remittances. Erratic water supply, overburdened primary health centres, and illegal sand mining are also pressing concerns. Additionally, monsoon-related power outages, rising land prices due to a real estate boom, traffic congestion near tourist spots, inadequate public transport, and waste management gaps challenge this Left Democratic Front stronghold's coastal-tourism economy.
The election results reflect the continued influence of these issues on voter behaviour, with the CPI(M) managing to retain its hold on the constituency despite a reduced margin compared to the previous election.
