VK Prasanth is the Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate who contested from the Vattiyoorkavu constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, seeking to retain the seat. Following a close contest with K. Muraleedharan of Congress, he lost the seat by over 5,000 votes. After 20 rounds of counting, Prasanth received 42,913 votes, while Muraleedharan got 48,338 votes.
The election in Vattiyoorkavu shaped up to be a closely watched triangular contest, with the BJP fielding former IPS officer R. Sreelekha and the Congress nominating senior leader K. Muraleedharan, son of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.
Background
Born in 1981 to S. Krishnan and J. Vasantha, Prasanth has a background in law. He holds a BA in History from St. Xavier’s College, Thumba, and an LLB from Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. He has been practising as a lawyer since 2006. Prasanth’s political journey began during his student years with the Students Federation of India (SFI), followed by his involvement in the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). He became a CPI(M) member in 1999 and later served as a panchayat member from 2005 to 2010, marking his early role in grassroots politics.
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What Happened in Previous Elections?
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What Happened in Previous Elections?
{{/usCountry}}Prasanth’s electoral success came in the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, when he won the Vattiyoorkavu seat with 61,111 votes. He defeated BJP candidate V. V. Rajesh, who secured 39,596 votes, by a margin of 21,515 votes, while Congress candidate Veena S. Nair finished third. His victory marked a significant win for the Left Democratic Front in a constituency that has seen competitive contests in the past.
Vattiyoorkavu has emerged as a key battleground in Thiruvananthapuram, with strong candidates from the BJP and Congress entering the fray. The contest is expected to be intense. While Prasanth will rely on his incumbency and previous performance, the presence of high-profile opponents makes the outcome uncertain, setting the stage for a closely fought election.