Ramesh Pisharody to Anjali Nair—8 celebrities in Kerala’s 2026 election battle

Kochi: The 2026 Kerala Assembly election has all the ingredients for a potboiler. Parties, including the CPI (M) and BJP,  have fielded several celebrities this time in key constituencies. From award-winning actors to social media influencers, eight prominent figures are in the electoral fray. 

Akhil Marar

Akhil Marar is a 37-year-old writer and director contesting from the Thrikkakara constituency, a United Democratic Front (UDF) bastion, on a Twenty20 ticket. His political satire movie Oru Thathvika Avalokanam (2021) has received critical acclaim. Before entering the film industry, he worked as a medical representative. However, he rose to fame after winning Bigg Boss Malayalam season 5. In 2026, February, he joined the Twenty20 party.  

Ramesh Pisharody

Ramesh Pisharody, a 44-year-old comedian, actor, and director, is a UDF candidate in the Palakkad constituency. The observational comic made his directional debut in 2018 in the comedy movie Panchavarnathatha and has been a high-profile star campaigner for UDF since 2021. He joined the party in March 2021. In Palakkad, he is fighting a high-stakes battle against BJP candidate Sobha Surendran. Recently, CPI(M) slammed Pisharody for his Gaza stance. He dismissed the protests in Kerala against the deaths in Gaza, saying that it won’t fetch any result other than creating enmity between people.

Athira D. Nair

Athira D. Nair, 25, is the Gen Z face of the Twenty20 party. She is contesting from the Ettumanoor constituency and is the youngest NDA candidate. She is a social media influencer, entrepreneur, and classical musician cum dancer. She joined the Twenty20 party in March 2026. Her candidacy came as a replacement for Veena Nair, who was removed as the Ettumanoor nominee following the discovery of her name missing from the voters’ list.

Dr. Robin Radhakrishnan 

The BJP’s pick for the Kundara constituency is Robin Radhakrishnan, 35, who stole the limelight as a Bigg Boss Malayalam contestant in season 4. When he joined the BJP in March 2026, he lost around 1.5 lakh followers on Instagram after announcing his support for the BJP.

Also read: In poll-bound Kerala, Congress’ candidate list has Chennithala loyalists smarting

Vivek Gopan

BJP has fielded Vivek Gopan, 42, in the Aruvikkara constituency of Thiruvananthapuram. He joined the BJP in 2021, February. Gopan had contested from the Chavara constituency in Kollam in 2021 and finished third. He is a popular face on TV and is best known for his character Sooraj in the soap opera Parasparam. He has also acted in films such as Oru Kuttanadan Blog (2018) and Bazooka (2025). He is also a cricketer who was a part of the Kerala Under-19 team.

Sudheer Karamana

 LDF has made a strategic move in the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, by fielding Sudheer Karamana, a famous actor, as an independent candidate. Karamana, 54, is the son of the late legendary actor Karamana Janardanan Nair. He served as the school principal at Govt Girl’s Higher Secondary School, Venganoor, for 13 years and has acted in hundreds of films. He has been an ardent supporter of the Left.   

Major Ravi

The NDA has fielded Major A. K. Raveendran,67, popularly known as Major Ravi, in the Ottappalam constituency in Palakkad. He is a military veteran and was awarded the President’s Gallantry Medal. Later, he forayed into films and gained prominence as a filmmaker. His directorial debut was Keerthichkara, a film on Kashmir. In 2021, he joined the Indian National Congress but later left the party. In 2023, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was appointed the Kerala State Vice President of the party. 

The surge of celebrities in elections has given rise to blame games by the UDF alleging a covert deal between CPI(M) and BJP  in fielding not-so-prominent political figures in Twenty20 tickets in the constituencies, where its ally BJP has a strong vote base.