Candidates trade dhoti for snazzy sportswear, bond over tea, mass jogging & cycling in Kerala poll campaign

Wearing track pants and a T-shirt, 60-year-old Saju Paul, CPM’s candidate in Angamaly, walks through the quiet streets of Angamaly at daybreak, stopping to chat with fellow walkers and listen to their concerns. In Vengara, IUML's K M Shaji sips tea at a local stall, engaging in easy conversations, while in Thrissur’s Ollur, CPI candidate and Minister K Rajan reads a newspaper alongside an elderly man by the roadside.

Alongside traditional campaign methods like rallies and conventions, they are embracing simpler, more direct ways of connecting with people this time. Branded as ‘Walk with the candidate’, ‘Chat with the candidate’ or ‘Coffee with the candidate’, the trend is steadily gaining ground across constituencies.

“Mornings offer the right mindset for meaningful engagement. People feel fresh, relaxed and more open to genuine conversations. There is no rush or noise,” says K M Shaji.

Shaji often walks with party workers, with locals gradually joining in. Despite the growing numbers, the walks remain calm and unhurried. “Accessibility matters most. These informal interactions make it easier for people to approach us and speak freely about their concerns,” he says.

Candidates are also consciously moving away from their usual attire, opting instead for sportswear or jogging outfits, often paired with party-coloured scarves for easy identification. Beyond walks, they spend time at tea shops, worship places, gymnasiums, junctions, playgrounds and other public spaces, striking up conversations.

Saju Paul says he also visits places like railway stations, bus stands and markets where people gather. “During the recent ‘Coffee with Saju Paul’ at the KSRTC bus depot, many walked in to share their issues and clear doubts,” he says. He also distributes pocket-sized cards or keychains with his contact details. “People won’t keep posters, but they will keep something useful and handy,” he adds.

In Puthuppally, Chandy Oommen cycles through the constituency as part of a green campaign that avoids posters and flex boards. Covering even interior areas, the UDF candidate and sitting MLA greets schoolchildren and workers on their way out, while keeping campaign costs low to focus on development work.

At Ollur, K Rajan leads ‘Rajettanoppam Prabhatha Savari’ (morning walk with Rajan), where people of all ages join in. Rajan sees the walk as a shared journey towards development, with each day bringing new interactions.

In Kalamassery, CPM’s P Rajeev began his campaign with a similar walk on the ‘Premam bridge’ (a bridge popularised by Alphonse Puthren's Malayalam movie ‘Premam’), aiming to connect with people while also highlighting the area’s tourism potential.

These interactions are not limited to voters alone—families and even children join in, making the approach widely popular within a short time and at minimal cost. Candidates say campaign strategies must evolve with changing times. “Earlier, posters and announcements influenced voters. Today, we need new ideas,” says Shaji.

Meanwhile, Linto Joseph, CPM candidate from Thiruvambady, says such engagement should continue beyond elections. The MLA has earlier also drawn appreciation on social media for regularly spending time with people in his constituency.

“I used to drop in for tea and casual chats with people in Thiruvambady. Such interactions are essential. People want their representatives to be accessible and present. They should feel we are one among them,” he says, adding that staying connected with the constituency is as important as development work.