Kerala Elections 2026: Ramesh Pisharody Wins; Akhil Marar, Robin Radhakrishnan Among Celebrities Who Lose

Kerala Elections 2026: The Kerala Assembly Elections 2026 saw several candidates from the film and television industry, but the results indicate that public recognition did not translate into electoral success. According to a report by Mathrubhumi.com, most celebrity candidates failed to secure victories across constituencies, with only one notable exception.

Actor and comedian Ramesh Pisharody, contesting from Palakkad as a United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, emerged as the lone successful entrant from the entertainment industry. Making his electoral debut, he won the seat by a margin of 13,147 votes, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sobha Surendran and Left-backed independent N. M. R. Razaq.

Across other constituencies, however, the trend was markedly different. In Thiruvananthapuram district, actor Sudheer Karamana, who contested as a Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate, finished second. The seat was won by UDF candidate C. P. John with a margin of 45,586 votes, while BJP's Karamana Jayan was also in contention.

A similar outcome was seen in Aruvikkara, where BJP candidate and actor Vivek Gopan finished third with 23,760 votes. The main contest was between CPM's G. Stephen and Congress leader V. S. Sivakumar.

Celebrity Candidates Falter Across Aroor, Kollam and Ernakulam

In Aroor, sitting MLA and singer Daleema, representing the LDF, lost to Congress candidate Shanimol Usman by 9,324 votes. NDA candidate P. S. Jyothis was also in the fray.

The results in Kollam district further reflected the broader pattern. At Pathanapuram, actor and Transport Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar was defeated by Congress candidate Jyothikumar Chamakkala by 8,310 votes. In Kundara, BJP candidate and former Bigg Boss contestant Robin Radhakrishnan secured 18,966 votes but did not win the seat.

In Ernakulam district, multiple celebrity candidates finished in third place. Actor-director and former Bigg Boss winner Akhil Marar, contesting from Thrikkakara as a BJP candidate, polled 21,424 votes. Actress Anjali Nair received 29,471 votes in Thrippunithura, while television personality Promi Kuriakose secured 9,893 votes in Angamaly.

The overall outcome indicates that while political parties fielded well-known faces from the entertainment industry across regions, electoral success remained limited, with Ramesh Pisharody as the only candidate from this group to secure a victory.