Poonjar: In a major breakthrough for the Congress, the party reclaimed Poonjar after 59 years, with UDF candidate Sebastian M J enjoying a commanding majority over sitting MLA and Kerala Congress (M) leader Sebastian Kulathunkal in a closely watched contest in the 2026 Kerala Assembly election.

Sebastian secured a majority of 6,693 votes over Kulathunkal, effectively sealing the outcome. Sebastian has secured 56,900 votes — a sharp jump from the 34,633 votes polled by the Congress candidate in the 2021 Assembly election.

Kulathunkal, meanwhile, has polled 50,207 votes, falling short of his 2021 tally by nearly 8,000 votes.

BJP candidate and former MLA P C George finished third in the constituency, polling 36,172 votes. Though he remained a major factor throughout the campaign, George was unable to convert his personal influence into electoral gains and remained below the tally he secured under the Kerala Janapaskham banner in 2021.

Speaking to reporters after the trends became clear, P C George said the results reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the state government. “There was a strong trend against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the state. People chose the Congress to express their anger against the government,” George said.

As in previous elections, P C George remained the central figure throughout the campaign. A dominant force in Poonjar politics for decades, George had earlier won the seat on a KCM ticket before later contesting and winning as an Independent. This time, he entered the fray as the BJP candidate.

However, his recent controversial remarks targeting the Pala Bishop, along with statements viewed as critical of sections of the Christian community, may have affected his prospects. His aggressive positioning on issues linked to SDPI and Popular Front in Erattupetta is also seen as having polarised sections of voters.

These developments consolidated sections of Muslim voters and parts of the Christian community against George, potentially reducing his electoral advantage. This has also seemingly worked in favour of the UDF this time, as seen in the increase in votes they had.

Moreover, Kulathunkal had to face strong anti-incumbency with many sections of voters also expressing dissatisfaction over his performance as an MLA. The UDF cashed in on this sentiment ot turn the result in their favour.

The Manorama News–C Voter survey also suggested an edge for Sebastian M J, indicating that the UDF may have an opportunity to reclaim the constituency after decades.

The 2016 Assembly election marked a major turning point in Poonjar politics. After parting ways with KCM, George contested as an Independent and delivered a commanding victory. He won by a margin of 27,821 votes, securing around 43 per cent of the vote share. The BDJS, then aligned with the NDA, polled about 13 per cent votes.

However, George was unable to replicate that success in 2021. Kulathunkal secured nearly 42 per cent of votes and defeated George. George, contesting under the Kerala Janapaksham banner, managed around 29.9 per cent vote share, while then DCC President Tomy Kallany polled nearly 24 per cent.

The NDA ally BDJS only secured 2,965 votes in the election, and this time, through George, they increased the tally.

However, despite George’s strong personal influence and long-standing voter base in the constituency, he could not sway the voters to vote for BJP in what is seen a Christian majority constituency.

The Congress has fielded Sebastian M J, the party’s Poonjar constituency president, solely in a bid to secure a victory for an INC candidate in the seat after several decades. And this strategy worked out. Poonjar had long been considered a Kerala Congress stronghold, with the party and its various factions dominating the constituency for decades. Congress’s victory therefore marks a significant political shift in one of central Kerala’s most closely watched seats.