10-May-2026

The most notable bright spot of the 2026 assembly elections is clearly the manner in which voters in Kerala exercised their franchise; Not because they voted any particular party to power, but because they avoided voting along communal lines. The victories of three candidates in three assembly constituencies in God’s own country exemplify how the knowledgeable electorate refused to be swayed by what was happening in the rest of the states that went to poll. In Thavanur assembly constituency, where Muslims are the majority, a Christian candidate, VS Joy, was voted to power. He won by an impressive margin of 14,647 votes over his nearest rival. Likewise, in the Kalamassery assembly constituency, where Hindus are the majority community, a Muslim candidate, Abdul Gafoor, was elected, notching up 16,312 votes more than his rival. And, in the Christian-majority constituency of Kochin, another Muslim candidate, Mohammad Shiyas, humbled his closest opponent, getting a decent 8000 votes more than his opponent. These winning margins serve as evidence that none of them were elected by chance, but won through convincing mandates.

Therefore, in a time when the country is facing the daunting task of fighting communal forces, these victories were like fairy tales: stories that not only defeated the sinister designs of the divisive forces but were also like lights at the end of the tunnel, giving hope to people that the amber of the spirit of India is still burning; therefore, the country cannot thank them more.