Sunny M. Kapikad (file)
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
As discussions on candidate selection gather momentum among the coalitions for the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala, speculations are rife over the United Democratic Front (UDF) looking to field Dalit thinker Sunny M. Kapikad in the Vaikom constituency.
When contacted, Mr. Kapikad confirmed that informal discussions have taken place regarding his possible candidature, though he said no formal communication has been received from the UDF leadership. “The UDF has openly acknowledged its commitment to expand its base by bringing in different sections of society. I am therefore inclined to support any proposal that aligns with the interests of the Dalit community,” he said.
Vaikom, a long time stronghold of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), last witnessed a Congress victory in the 1991 Assembly elections, when K. K. Balakrishnan won by a narrow margin of 376 votes.
Banking on its success in wresting the Velloor district panchayat division, which falls within the Vaikom Assembly segment, during the recent local body elections, the UDF is now keen to reclaim the constituency. The coalition is exploring whether the influence wielded by Mr. Kapikad, who is also a voter in the Assembly segment, among Dalit voters in the region, would be sufficient to secure a victory.
Mr. Kapikad, a well known Dalit thinker and social critic, was among the early activists of the Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha led by C.K. Janu and M. Geethanandan and has played a key role in several Adivasi Dalit movements in the State. The UDF has already inducted the Janadhipathya Rashtriya Sabha, led by Ms. Janu, as an associate member of the coalition.
Meanwhile, debates over his possible candidature has sparked a major discussion in social media. Leaders of Dalit organisations say they are receiving enthusiastic support from various parts of the state in favour of his candidature.
The sitting MLA from Vaikom is CPI leader C.K. Asha, who has held the seat for two consecutive terms. In the 2016 Assembly election, she secured 61,997 votes, while Congress candidate A. Saneesh Kumar polled 37,413 votes. In 2021, Ms. Asha retained the seat with 71,388 votes, compared to 42,266 votes secured by UDF candidate P.R. Sona. Her vote share in the 2021 election stood at 55.96%.
Published – January 21, 2026 09:51 am IST
