Kerala Assembly Polls: Parties Race Against Time As Nomination Deadline Nears; 32 Papers Filed So Far
NDA is yet to name candidates in around 10 constituencies, while LDF has not reached a final agreement in three Assembly seats, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram
Published : March 20, 2026 at 5:45 PM IST
|Updated : March 20, 2026 at 6:06 PM IST
Thiruvananthapuram: With just two working days left to file nomination papers for the Kerala Assembly elections, political parties and candidates are scrambling to complete procedures amid pending seat-sharing decisions and documentation hurdles.
The rapid sequence of events - election announcement, notification and the opening of nominations - has left little time for parties to finalise candidates. Although most fronts resolved major seat-sharing disputes by Thursday evening, uncertainty persists in several constituencies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is yet to name candidates in around 10 constituencies, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has not reached a final agreement in three seats. Once candidates are announced, they must swiftly prepare nomination papers and compile a large set of mandatory supporting documents.
Today, being an Eid holiday has further tightened timelines. Saturday remains the only full working day for completing procedures before the final deadline on Monday (March 23). Scrutiny of nominations will take place on March 24, and candidates can withdraw their papers until March 26.
Out of Kerala's 140 constituencies, nominations have begun in only 21 so far, with most filings coming from independent candidates. Prominent nominees from the three major fronts are largely yet to submit their papers. A total of 32 nominations have been filed across the state so far.
Documentation pressure
Senior CPI(M) leader and former minister M. Vijayakumar said completing nominations within two days is difficult. He noted that at least four to five days are typically required for detailed verification and procedural compliance, adding that the compressed schedule is particularly challenging for first-time candidates.
Senior Congress leader and former minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, however, said experienced candidates can complete the process within a day. He pointed out that political parties deploy dedicated teams to handle nomination-related procedures in a time-bound manner.
Concerns are mounting that even minor errors could lead to rejection of nominations. Candidates must obtain multiple certificates and records from various government departments, adding to the workload of officials as contenders from different parties crowd offices.
Mandatory disclosures include: Income tax details of candidates and dependents, full disclosure of pending criminal cases, police station records, FIR numbers and court case details, bail status in warrant cases, details of convictions, relevant legal sections and punishments.
Candidates must also submit sworn affidavits detailing: Movable and immovable assets of the candidate and dependents, Bank deposits and share investments, land and building ownership, survey numbers and estimated values. In addition, no-dues and no-liability certificates must be produced from multiple departments confirming there are no pending government payments.
Certificates confirming clearance of rent, telephone, water and electricity dues for any government accommodation used by the candidate are also mandatory.
Prominent candidates who have filed
Among prominent leaders, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has filed a single set of nomination papers from Dharmadam. Minister OR Kelu filed nominations as the LDF candidate in Mananthavady. From the Congress, TN Prathapan (Manalur), CR Mahesh (Karunagappally), Bindu Krishna (Kollam), and P. Aisha Potty (Kottarakkara) have filed nominations.
Sitting MLA Najeeb Kanthapuram of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has submitted papers from Perinthalmanna. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced the election schedule on March 15. Kerala will go to polls in a single phase on April 9, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. Puducherry and Assam will vote alongside Kerala, while West Bengal will hold elections in two phases.
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