In a remote panchayat in Pathanamthitta, rival parties didn't feel the need to field namesakes to leak votes. Their inadvertent choice of candidates with the same name has already caused enough confusion in one ward.
In Pathanamthitta’s Kottanad Panchayat, residents of Ward 12 are now used to the amused glances and double takes. All three women contesting from the ward are named Sunitha. And to make things even more interesting, each Sunitha represents a different political front.

There is AK Sunitha of the NDA, NK Sunitha of the UDF, and Sunitha PA of the LDF. None of them realised this little coincidence until after the nominations were filed.

“There was a lot of confusion initially. Even we were shocked,” says NK Sunitha, an anganwadi teacher who has been involved in public work for nearly 25 years. “But when we go campaigning, we tell voters to look carefully at the party symbol. People here know me well, so I don’t think they’ll have trouble identifying me.”

Their houses stand close to each other, making the sight even more unusual: three neighbours, three first-time contestants, three Sunithas. “We didn’t know it until the nomination day,” says AK Sunitha. “I was a bit panicked, thinking about how people would tell us apart. Now we simply emphasise the symbol and the party. Voters also find it funny. They ask, ‘Which Sunitha are you?’ and we explain.”

A housewife, AK Sunitha, says she wants to work for the ordinary families in the ward and use the opportunity to “do something meaningful if elected”.

For LDF’s Sunitha PA, the entry into politics came from within her home. Her husband had served as the ward member for 10 years, and she felt ready to follow his path. “Both of us are party workers. I always wanted to do what he did,” she explains. “There was no tension on my side. People do get confused because even our initials are similar, but our campaign focuses entirely on the symbol. The party has full confidence in me.”

Interestingly, the winner of the 2020 election also had his name starting with 'S' - Sanalkumar K G of the BJP.

If Pathanamthitta has three Sunithas, Palakkad’s Paruthur Panchayat has gone one step ahead. Here, the UDF has fielded four candidates named Soumya, one each in Wards 7, 9, 14, and 15.

The four women, who had never met each other before entering the race, are now minor local celebrities. “It was a complete surprise for all of us,” says Soumya Sunny of Ward 9. “People often ask me, ‘Which Soumya are you?’ So I tell them my ward number and full name. It is slightly difficult, but also a bit funny.”

While some candidates battle the chaos of common names, others stand out because of outlandish names. In Kottayam district panchayat’s Kumarakom division, LDF candidate Angiras S doesn’t need to explain much for people to remember him.

“I have always been known for my unique name,” says Angiras, an advocate who is also a farmer, local cricketer, and long-time party worker. His name traces back to the Rig Veda. Angiras is considered one of the revered sages in Vedic literature, and his father, deeply passionate about history and scriptures, chose the name deliberately.

“But at home, I’m just ‘Muth’,” he laughs. “I’m nearly six feet tall, so people recognise me quickly anyway. But yes, the name helps.

His unusual name has sparked conversations throughout his campaign trail, with many curious about its meaning.

In Kollam Corporation’s Palathara division, another memorable name is drawing attention: R Desdemona, the NDA candidate. Her name, lifted straight from Shakespeare’s Othello, catches voters off guard.

“Some people who don’t know the reference ask whether I’m Christian. Others recognise the story,” she says. Her father named her after listening to V Sambasivan’s famous kadhaprasangam rendition of the tragedy. The weight of the literary connection hasn’t stopped her from keeping her focus simple. “My mission is straightforward,” she says. “Bring development to the people.”