NEW DELHI: In Kerala’s Mavelikara, LDF’s MS Arun Kumar received 67,180 votes, defeating UDF’s Muthira Raj by 15,736 votes. Muthira Raj got 51,444 votes. There were a total of 190969 registered voters on the electoral rolls for the 2026 Assembly election in Mavelikara Assembly constituency, of whom 89763 were male, 101203 female and 3 belonged to the third gender.Exit polls released for the high-stakes Kerala battle indicate a competitive contest, with the incumbent LDF government seeking a third consecutive term amid a strong challenge from the UDF.Mavelikara Assembly constituency is a Scheduled Caste-reserved seat in Alappuzha district, Kerala, covering Mavelikara Municipality and surrounding rural panchayats. The current MLA is MS Arun Kumar from CPI(M), elected in 2021. He won with 71,743 votes (47.61 per cent), defeating INC’s KK Shaju who received 47,026 votes (31.21 per cent). This gave a margin of 24,717 votes, or 16.40 per cent of valid votes, amid 73.16 per cent turnout.Key issues residents grapple with include inadequate parking causing traffic chaos, irregular waste collection, and non-functional streetlights. Poor drainage leads to frequent waterlogging and foul odors, while public transport remains scarce. Farmers face delays in essential agricultural inputs like fertilizers and seeds. As a largely rural area (82.38 per cent), it also contends with flooding risks near rivers, impacting livelihoods and infrastructure. This SC-reserved seat has seen CPI(M) dominance since 2011, reflecting strong Left support amid these persistent civic and agrarian challenges. Recent local polls highlight ongoing civic woes, underscoring the need for better urban-rural planning.
