Kochi: Former Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac is reportedly on the hunt for an Assembly seat in the 2026 elections, setting his sights firmly on his stronghold, Alappuzha. However, his ambitions face a significant challenge from a rival camp allegedly backed by Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas, the Chief Minister’s son-in-law.
Isaac’s political troubles in Alappuzha began in 2021 when the seat, which he had won by a massive margin of 31,032 votes in 2016, was denied to him, and P. P. Chitharanjan was fielded instead by Pinarayi Vijayan. Chitharanjan won, but with a significantly reduced margin of 11,644 votes, and his performance in the Assembly has been widely regarded as below average. This underperformance is a key factor driving Isaac’s bid to return to the constituency.
Despite the criticism of his performance, the incumbent MLA, P. P. Chitharanjan, is a strong ally of Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas, and is reportedly confident of securing the ticket for 2026, relying on Riyas’s support to hold off challengers.
Recognising the political muscle of the Riyas faction, Isaac has now turned to his close friend and veteran leader M. A. Baby for intervention. Isaac’s supporters in Alappuzha are hopeful that Baby will strategise and engage in political manoeuvres to help his friend secure the nomination.
This is not the first time Isaac has faced political roadblocks from the rival camp. Following the denial of the Alappuzha Assembly seat in 2021, Isaac attempted to secure a Rajya Sabha nomination, but this move was reportedly countered by Riyas’s influence, leading to A. A. Rahim winning the seat Isaac had aspired to. Isaac’s subsequent attempt to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Pathanamthitta also ended in failure.
With P. A. Mohamed Riyas holding considerable power within the party, bolstered by the support of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, observers suggest that M. A. Baby will need to mount a significant political offensive to successfully outmanoeuvre the rival faction and secure the Alappuzha ticket for Thomas Isaac.
