K. Muraleedharan Wins Vattiyoorkavu by 5,425 Votes, BJP's Sreelekha Trails Third

Key facts

• K. Muraleedharan (INC) secured 48,338 votes, defeating V.K. Prasanth (CPI(M)) who got 42,913 votes.
• R. Sreelekha (BJP) came third with 37,213 votes, a margin of 5,700 behind Prasanth.
• Muraleedharan's victory margin over Prasanth was 5,425 votes.
• Vattiyoorkavu constituency had been held by CPI(M)'s Prasanth since 2019 and earlier by Muraleedharan in 2011.
• Sreelekha, a former IPS officer and Kerala's first woman DGP, joined BJP in 2024 and was elected councillor in 2025.
• Sreelekha retired as DGP of Kerala Fire and Rescue Services on 31 December 2020 after 33 years of service.

Congress Recaptures Vattiyoorkavu in High-Stakes Three-Way Battle

K. Muraleedharan of the Indian National Congress has won the Vattiyoorkavu Assembly seat in the 2026 Kerala elections, defeating the incumbent Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate V.K. Prasanth by 5,425 votes. The victory marks a reversal of the 2021 result, when Prasanth retained the constituency for the CPI(M). Muraleedharan polled 48,338 votes against Prasanth's 42,913, while Bharatiya Janata Party candidate R. Sreelekha finished third with 37,213 votes. The three-way contest was closely watched as a bellwether for political shifts in the state. Vattiyoorkavu, a constituency in Thiruvananthapuram district, has alternated between the Congress and the CPI(M) over the past decade and a half. Muraleedharan first won the seat in 2011, lost it to Prasanth in the 2019 by-election, and has now reclaimed it.

Former DGP Sreelekha's Political Debut Falls Short

R. Sreelekha, a retired Indian Police Service officer who served as Kerala's first woman Director General of Police, entered politics with the BJP in 2024 and contested her first Assembly election from Vattiyoorkavu. Despite her high-profile background, she secured only 37,213 votes, placing third behind the two major party candidates. The result is a setback for the BJP, which had hoped to leverage Sreelekha's name recognition and administrative experience to break into a constituency traditionally dominated by the Congress and the Left. Sreelekha's journey from police chief to politician began after her retirement on 31 December 2020, following 33 years of service. She joined the BJP in 2024 and was elected as a councillor from Ward No. 41, Sasthamangalam, in the 2025 Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. Her Assembly bid, however, failed to translate her local council success into a legislative seat.

Muraleedharan's Victory Margin Reflects Tight Contest

The 5,425-vote margin between Muraleedharan and Prasanth underscores the competitive nature of the Vattiyoorkavu seat. Prasanth, who had held the constituency since winning the 2019 by-election and retained it in 2021, could not withstand the Congress challenge this time. Muraleedharan's victory was built on a solid lead that he maintained throughout the counting process, as live updates showed him consistently ahead. The final tally: Muraleedharan (INC) 48,338, Prasanth (CPI(M)) 42,913, Sreelekha (BJP) 37,213. The gap between first and second was 5,425 votes, while Sreelekha trailed Prasanth by 5,700 votes. The result leaves the CPI(M) without a seat it had held for two consecutive terms.

Vattiyoorkavu's Electoral History: A Swing Constituency

Vattiyoorkavu has been a political pendulum in Kerala's Assembly elections. In 2011, Congress's K. Muraleedharan won the seat, but the CPI(M) reclaimed it in the 2019 by-election with V.K. Prasanth. Prasanth successfully defended the seat in the 2021 Assembly elections, making it a key stronghold for the Left. The 2026 result marks a return to the Congress fold, reflecting the constituency's tendency to swing between the two major alliances. The seat's competitive history made it a focal point in the 2026 elections, with all three major parties fielding prominent candidates. The BJP's decision to run Sreelekha, a former top police officer, was seen as an attempt to expand its footprint in Kerala, where it has traditionally struggled to win Assembly seats.

Broader Implications for Kerala Politics

Muraleedharan's victory in Vattiyoorkavu is part of a wider trend in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, which saw the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) making gains. Exit polls had predicted a close fight in several constituencies, and the Vattiyoorkavu result aligns with the UDF's comeback narrative. The defeat of an incumbent CPI(M) MLA in a seat the party had held since 2019 signals a potential shift in voter sentiment. For the BJP, Sreelekha's third-place finish, despite her personal stature, highlights the party's continuing challenge in penetrating Kerala's bipolar political landscape. Her performance, however, did improve on the BJP's previous vote share in the constituency, suggesting a slow but incremental growth.

What Comes Next for the Key Players

K. Muraleedharan will now represent Vattiyoorkavu in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, returning to a seat he first won 15 years ago. For V.K. Prasanth, the loss ends a tenure that began with a by-election victory in 2019 and was reaffirmed in 2021. The CPI(M) will need to reassess its strategy in a constituency that has proven volatile. R. Sreelekha, despite her defeat, remains a councillor in Thiruvananthapuram and could continue to build her political career within the BJP. Her entry into electoral politics was historic—she was Kerala's first woman IPS officer and first woman DGP—but translating that legacy into electoral success will require further groundwork. The 2026 result leaves open the question of whether the BJP can convert high-profile candidates into Assembly seats in Kerala.

The bottom line

• Congress's K. Muraleedharan won Vattiyoorkavu with 48,338 votes, defeating CPI(M) incumbent V.K. Prasanth by 5,425 votes.
• BJP candidate R. Sreelekha, a former DGP, finished third with 37,213 votes, trailing Prasanth by 5,700 votes.
• Vattiyoorkavu has swung between Congress and CPI(M) since 2011, with Muraleedharan winning in 2011 and 2026, and Prasanth in 2019 and 2021.
• Sreelekha's political debut from a high-profile background did not yield an Assembly seat, though she remains a councillor.
• The result reflects a broader UDF resurgence in Kerala, as indicated by exit polls and the defeat of an incumbent CPI(M) MLA.
• BJP's vote share in Vattiyoorkavu improved but not enough to break the Congress-Left duopoly.