In Kerela’s Karunagappally, INC’s C.R. Mahesh received 82593 votes, defeating CPI’s M.S. Thara by 2,6618 votes. M.S. Thara got 55,975 votes. The constituency is a general seat and includes Karunagappally Municipality along with rural panchayats such as Thevalakkara and Oachira. The region is largely shaped by coastal fishing communities and coir workers, which play a key role in its political landscape.In the 2026 Assembly elections, the UDF has fielded Santhakumar, while the BJP has nominated Pandalam Prathapan, setting up a direct contest in the constituency.In the 2021 Assembly elections, Congress candidate CR Mahesh won the seat with 94,225 votes, accounting for 54.38 per cent of the total vote share. He defeated CPI candidate R. Ramachandran, who secured 65,017 votes (37.52 per cent), with a margin of 29,208 votes. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 78.51 per cent.Karunagapally has remained a key UDF stronghold in recent elections, with its political dynamics closely linked to coastal livelihoods and local development concerns. The constituency faces recurring issues such as coastal erosion and flooding from TS canals, which impact fishing activities and paddy cultivation.Other major concerns include poor rural road connectivity affecting coir exports, youth unemployment despite Gulf remittances, and irregular water supply along with sanitation gaps. Residents also report overburdened primary health centres, illegal sand mining affecting backwaters, and monsoon-related power outages.Additional issues such as rising land prices driven by tourism, traffic congestion near market areas, inadequate public transport, and waste management challenges continue to strain the local economy.
