Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday formally filed his nomination papers from the Dharmadam Assembly constituency, marking the beginning of his electoral contest in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.
The veteran leader of the CPI(M) submitted his papers at the Thalassery Sub Registrar's Office around 11 am. The nomination was received by Kannur Registrar A.B. Sathyan in the presence of senior party leaders, making Vijayan the first candidate from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kannur district to complete the process. He was accompanied by CPI(M) Kannur district secretary K.K. Ragesh, senior leader E. P. Jayarajan, Kerala Assembly Speaker A. N. Shamseer, and political secretary P. Sasi.
In a notable gesture, elderly women residents of Pathanapuram Gandhi Bhavan contributed the security deposit for Vijayan’s nomination. The amount was handed over to him earlier during an LDF convention in Dharmadam.
This marks Vijayan’s seventh Assembly election in a long political career and his third consecutive contest from Dharmadam. He previously represented Kuthuparamba three times and Payyannur once before shifting to Dharmadam in 2016, where he secured decisive victories in both subsequent elections.
The Dharmadam constituency is set to witness a three-cornered fight. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded V.P. Abdul Rasheed, while the BJP has nominated K. Ranjith.
Vijayan, 80, had launched his campaign a day earlier with a roadshow that drew large crowds. Addressing voters, he called for continued support to sustain Kerala’s development trajectory under the LDF government.
He highlighted the state’s image as a peaceful and investment-friendly destination, attributing it to decades of Left governance. Expressing confidence, Vijayan said the people of Kerala favour continuity of what he termed “progressive rule.”
The Chief Minister also launched a sharp attack on the opposition, accusing rivals of abandoning political ethics and resorting to “Goebbelsian tactics” to defame the government. He alleged that Kerala remains the only state consistently resisting the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India clarified that nomination papers will not be accepted on March 20 due to a Ramadan holiday and on March 22, which falls on a Sunday. Candidates, therefore, have only Thursday, Saturday, and Monday to file nominations, with Monday being the final deadline.
Political parties had sought an extension, citing the limited window, but the Commission stated that existing rules prohibit acceptance of nominations on public holidays.
With the filing of nomination papers, the electoral battle in Dharmadam has formally begun, setting the stage for a closely watched contest.
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