Kerala's Thrissur turns battleground as Congress' Rajan J Pallan eyes return amid three-cornered fight

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Rajan J. Pallan is the Indian National Congress candidate from the Thrissur (General) Assembly constituency in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, representing the United Democratic Front. A seasoned local leader with an extensive civic background, Pallan is regarded as a well-known figure in Thrissur’s political landscape. Rajan J. Pallan, UDF candidate from Thrissur constituency (Facebook)He is in the fray in a three-cornered contest against Alankode Leelakrishnan of the Left Democratic Front and Padmaja Venugopal of the National Democratic Alliance. Expressing confidence ahead of the polls, Pallan has emphasised his strong connect with the people of Thrissur and his experience in public life. At 63, Rajan J. Pallan is a businessman and has a long-time presence in local governance in Thrissur. Information about his early life is not widely available, and his education is recorded as having studied up to the 10th standard. Pallan has built his public profile primarily through civic administration. He served as the fifth Mayor of the Thrissur Municipal Corporation and has been associated with the body since its formation, including serving as a councillor. Also Read: Elections 2026: Ex-Kerala health minister KK Shailaja in focus in Peravoor battle According to his election affidavit, Pallan has declared assets worth approximately ₹2.67 crore. Despite the limited publicly available information about his early years, his career reflects a steady rise through grassroots politics and municipal leadership in Thrissur. The Indian National Congress held the Thrissur seat for several terms, including a victory in 2011 when Therambil Ramakrishnan defeated CPI’s P. Balachandran by a significant margin. However, the political balance shifted in 2016, when the Communist Party of India regained the constituency, with V. S. Sunil Kumar winning in a tighter contest. The CPI retained the seat in 2021, as P. Balachandran secured victory once again, underlining the constituency’s trend of closely fought elections in recent years. With margins narrowing over time, Thrissur has emerged as a swing seat where outcomes remain uncertain. In the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, Pallan is attempting to reclaim the seat for the Congress. He is focusing his campaign on local civic concerns such as traffic congestion and waste management, while emphasising his administrative experience as a former mayor and councillor. With the seat witnessing competitive contests in successive elections, the outcome in Thrissur is expected to be closely watched. Payal is a budding journalist currently pursuing her passion for storytelling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She has always loved writing and reading, and over time, these interests grew into a strong desire to tell stories that people can connect with. This is what led her to choose journalism and content writing as a career. She has interned with Prabhat Khabar, where she worked with the social media team. During her internship, she created content for different platforms and learned how to write in a clear and engaging way for a wide audience. This experience helped her understand how digital content works and improved her writing skills. Payal is always looking to learn and grow as a writer. She is open to exploring different kinds of stories and wants to keep getting better with each piece she writes. Outside of her work and studies, she is an avid reader. She enjoys reading all kinds of books, especially fiction and fantasy, and loves getting lost in different worlds and characters. Reading has always been a big part of her life and continues to inspire her writing. She is excited to keep learning, writing, and discovering where her journey in journalism takes her.Read More