The 1996 Kerala Legislative Assembly election was held in May 1996 to elect members to the Kerala State Assembly. Polls were held simultaneously in all 140 seats and resulted in a voter turnout of 71.16%.

The then Leader of opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan lost from Mararikulam, a Marxist bastion. It is only the second instance in Kerala that the chief ministerial candidate of a major party lost in an election (In 1965, R. Sankar, former Congress Chief Minister lost from the Attingal constituency. However, in that election, no party was able to form a government). On 20 May 1996, a 14 member cabinet of Left Democratic Front led by former Chief Minister E. K. Nayanar was sworn in. Nayanar was not an elected member of the assembly at that time, and was later elected from Thalassery Constituency. Nayanar subsequently went on to become the longest serving Chief Minister of the state.

Parties and alliances Left Democratic Front (Kerala)

Party Flag Symbol Leader Contesting Seats Communist Party of India (Marxist) V. S. Achuthanandhan 62 Communist Party of India A. B. Bardhan 22 Janata Dal 13 Kerala Congress P. J. Joseph 10 Indian Congress (Socialist) 8 Revolutionary Socialist Party 6 Indian National League 2 LDF-Independents 17 Total 140

United Democratic Front (Kerala)

Party Flag Symbol Leader Contesting Seats Indian National Congress (Indira) A. K. Antony 94 Indian Union Muslim League E. Ahmed 22 Kerala Congress (Mani) K. M. Mani 10 Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy K. R. Gouri Amma 4 Kerala Congress (Jacob) T. M. Jacob 4 Communist Marxist Party Kerala State Committee 3 Kerala Congress (B) R. Balakrishna Pillai 2 Total 140

List of Candidates ConstituencyLDFUDF # Name Party Candidate Party Candidate 1 Manjeswar M. Ramanna Rai Cherkalam Abdullah 2 Kasaragod N. A. Nellikunnu C. T. Ahammed Ali 3 Udma P. Raghavan K. P. Kunhikannan 4 Hosdrug (SC) M. Narayanan C. P. Krishnan 5 Trikkarpur K. P. Sateesh Chandran Sony Sebastian 6 Irikkur A. J. Joseph K. C. Joseph 7 Payyannur Pinarayi Vijayan K. N. Kannoth 8 Taliparamba M. V. Govindan Master Satheesan Pacheni 9 Azhicode T. K. Balan T. P. Hareendran 10 Cannanore N. Ramakrishnan K. Sudhakaran 11 Edakkad M. V. Jayarajan A. D. Mustafa 12 Tellicherry K. P. Mammu Master K. C. Kadambooran 13 Peringalam P. R. Kurup K. M. Soopy 14 Kuthuparamba K. K. Shylaja M. P. Krishnan Nair 15 Peravoor K. T. Kunnahammed K. P. Noorudeen 16 North Wynad (ST) K. C. Kunhiraman Radha Raghavan 17 Badagara C. K. Nanu C. Vathsalan 18 Nadapuram Sathyan Mokeri K. C. Abu 19 Meppayur A. Kanaran Pv Muhamed Areekode 20 Quilandy P. Viswan P. Sankaran 21 Perambra N. K. Radha Roshy Augustine 22 Balusseri A. C. Shanmukhadas R. K. Ravivarma 23 Koduvally C. Mohsin C. Moyinkutty 24 Calicut-I M. Dasan A. Sujanapal 25 Calicut-II Elamaram Kareem Qamarunnisa Anvar 26 Beypore T. K. Hamza Ummer Pandikasala 27 Kunnamangalam (SC) C. P. Balan Vaidyar A. P. Unnikrishnan 28 Thiruvambadi Cyriac John Abdurahiman Haji Av 29 Kalpetta Jainendra Kalpetta K. K. Ramachandran 30 Sultan's Battery Varghese Vaidyar K. C. Rosakutty 31 Wandoor (SC) N. Kannan Pandalam Sudhakaran 32 Nilambur Malayil Thomas Mathew Aryadan Muhammed 33 Manjeri P. M. Zafarulla Ishaque Kurikkal 34 Malappuram P. M. A. Salam M. K. Muneer 35 Kondotty K. P. Mohammed P. K. K. Bava 36 Tirurangadi A. V. Abdu Haji Kutty Ahamed Kutty 37 Tanur T. V. Moideen Kutty Abdu Rabb 38 Tirur U. A. Naseer E. T. Mohamed Basheer 39 Ponnani Muhammedkutty Paloli P. T. Mohanakrishnan 40 Kuttippuram Ibrahim Haji Mayyeri P. K. Kunhalikutty 41 Mankada Manjalamkuzhi Ali K. P. Abdul Majeed 42 Perinthalmanna A. Mohamed Nalakath Sooppy 43 Thrithala (SC) V. K. Chandran A. P. Anilkumar 44 Pattambi K. E. Ismail M. I. Shanavas 45 Ottapalam V. C. Kabeer K. V. Prabhakaran Nambiar 46 Sreekrishnapuram Girija Surendran P. Balan 47 Mannarkkad Jose Baby Kalladi Mohammed 48 Malampuzha T. Sivadasa Menon M. Guruswamy 49 Palghat T. K. Noushad C. M. Sundaram 50 Chittur K. Krishnan Kutty K. Achuthan 51 Kollengode M. Chandran K. A. Chandran 52 Coyalmannam (SC) M. Narayanan M. V. Suresh 53 Alathur C. K. Rajendran R. Chellamma 54 Chelakara (SC) K. Radhakrishnan T. A. Radhakrishnan 55 Wadakkancherry K. Mohandas V. Balaram 56 Kunnamkulam N. R. Balan T. V. Chandramohan 57 Cherpu K. P. Rajendran M. K. Abdul Salam 58 Trichur M. R. Govindan Therambil Ramakrishnan 59 Ollur C. N. Jayadevan P. P. George 60 Kodakara P. R. Rajan K. P. Viswanathan 61 Chalakudi N. M. Joseph Savithri Lakshmanan 62 Mala V. K. Rajan Mercy Ravi 63 Irinjalakuda Lonappan Nambadan Thomas Unniyadan 64 Manalur C. G. Santhakumar Rosamma Chacko 65 Guruvayoor P. T. Kunju Muhammed R. P. Moidutty 66 Nattika Krishnan Kaniyamparambil K. K. Rahulan 67 Kodungallur Meenakshy Thamban K. Venu 68 Ankamali M. V. Many P. J. Joy 69 Vadakkekara S. Sarma V. P. Marakkar 70 Parur P. Raju V. D. Satheesan 71 Narakal (SC) V. K. Babu M. A. Kuttappan 72 Ernakulam V. B. Cheriyan George Eden 73 Mattancherry M. A. Thomas T. A. Ahamed Kabeer 74 Palluruthy T. P. Peethambaran Dominic Presentation 75 Thrippunithura Gopi Kottamurikkal K. Babu 76 Alwaye Sarojini Balanandhan K. Mohammedali 77 Perumbavoor Raman Kartha P. P. Thankachan 78 Kunnathunad M. P. Vargheese T. H. Musthaffa 79 Piravom C. Poulose T. M. Jacob 80 Muvattupuzha P. M. Thomas Johny Nelloor 81 Kothamangalam T. M. Meethian V. J. Poulose 82 Thodupuzha P. J. Joseph P. T. Thomas 83 Devicolam (SC) S. Sundaramanickom A. K. Moni 84 Idukki P. P. Sulaiman Rawther Joy Vettikuzhy 85 Udumbanchola M. M. Moni E. M. Augusthy 86 Peermade C. A. Kurian Mathew Stephen 87 Kanjirappally K. J. Thomas George J. Mathew 88 Vazhoor Kanam Rajendran K. Narayana Kurup 89 Changanacherry P. Ravindranath C. F. Thomas 90 Kottayam T. K. Ramakrishnan Mohan Sankar 91 Ettumanoor Vaikom Viswan Thomas Chazhikadan 92 Puthuppally Reji Zachariah Oommen Chandy 93 Poonjar P. C. George Joy Abraham 94 Palai C. K. Jeevan K. M. Mani 95 Kaduthuruthy Mons Joseph P. M. Mathew 96 Vaikom (SC) M. K. Kesavan K. K. Balakrishnan 97 Aroor B. Vinod K. R. Gowri Amma 98 Sherthalai C. K. Chandrappan A. K. Antony 99 Mararikulam V. S. Achuthanandan P. J. Francis 100 Alleppey P. S. Somasekharan K. C. Venugopal 101 Ambalapuzha Suseela Gopalan Devadath G. Purakkad 102 Kuttanad K. C. Joseph J. Joseph 103 Haripad A. V. Thamarakshan N. Mohan Kumar 104 Kayamkulam G. Sudhakaran Thachadi Prabhakaran 105 Thiruvalla Oommen Thalavady Mamman Mathai 106 Kallooppara T. S. John Joseph M. Puthusseri 107 Aranmula Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan M. V. Raghavan 108 Chengannur Mammen Iype Sobhana George 109 Mavelikara P. N. Viswanathan M. Murali 110 Pandalam (SC) P. K. Kumaran Pandalam Bharathan 111 Ranni Raju Abraham Peeilipose Thomas 112 Pathanamthitta D. K. John K. K. Nair 113 Konni A. Padmakumar Adoor Prakash 114 Pathanapuram K. Prakash Babu Thomas Kuthiravattam 115 Punaloor P. K. Sreenivasan Punalur Madhu 116 Chadayamangalam R. Latha Devi Prayar Gopalakrishnan 117 Kottarakara George Mathew R. Balkrishna Pillai 118 Neduvathur (SC) B. Raghavan Ezhukone Narayanan 119 Adoor K. N. Balagopal Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan 120 Kunnathur (SC) T. Nanoo Visalakshy 121 Karunagapally E. Chandrasekharan Nair Sathjith 122 Chavara Baby John K. Karunakaran Pillai 123 Kundara J. Mercykuttiamma Alphonsa John 124 Quilon Babu Divakaran Kadavoor Sivadasan 125 Eravipuram V. P. Ramakrishna Pillai A. Yoonus Kunju 126 Chathanoor P. Raveendran C. V. Padmarajan 127 Varkala A. Ali Hassan G. Priyadarsanan 128 Attingal Anathalavattom Anandan Vakkom Purushothaman 129 Kilimanoor (SC) Bhargavi Thankappan M. Radhakrishnan 130 Vamanapuram Pirappancode Murali C. K. Sitaram 131 Ariyanad K. P. Sankaradas G. Karthikeyan 132 Nedumangad M. Radhakrishnan Palode Ravi 133 Kazhakuttam K. Surendran E. A. Rasheed 134 Trivandrum North M. Vijayakumar T. Saratchandra Prasad 135 Trivandrum West Antony Raju M. M. Hassan 136 Trivandrum East K. Krishna Pillai B. Vijaya Kumar 137 Nemom Venganoor P. Bhaskaran K. Mohankumar 138 Kovalam A. Neelalohithadasan N. George Mascrene 139 Neyyattinkara Charupara Ravi Thampanoor Ravi 140 Parassala W. R. Heeba M. R. Reghuchandrabal

Results + Party-wise vote share of 1996 Kerala Assembly Elections Sl.No: Party Contested Won Popular Votes Share (%) National Parties 1 Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) 62 40 30,78,723 21.59 5 All India Indira Congress (Tiwari) (AIIC(T)) 8 0 8,549 0.06 2 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 123 0 7,81,090 5.48 3 Communist Party of India (CPI) 22 18 10,86,350 7.62 4 Indian National Congress 94 37 43,40,717 30.43 6 Janata Dal (JD) 13 4 5,87,716 4.12 7 Janata Party (JP) 21 0 8,027 0.06 State Parties 1 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 12 0 17,872 0.13 2 All India Forward Bloc (FBL) 6 0 2,522 0.02 3 Indian Congress (Socialist) (IC(S)) 9 3 3,55,755 2.49 4 Kerala Congress (KEC) 10 6 4,42,421 3.10 5 Kerala Congress (Mani) (KCM) 10 5 4,53,614 3.18 6 Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) 22 13 10,25,556 7.19 7 Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) 6 5 2,94,744 2.07 8 Shiv Sena (SHS) 16 0 4,445 0.03 Unrecognised Parties 1 Bharatiya Labour Party (BLP) 1 0 3,632 0.03 2 Communist Marxist Party (CMPKSC) 3 0 69,934 0.49 3 Indian Labour Congress (ILC) 1 0 630 0.00 4 Indian National League (INL) 3 0 139775 0.89 5 Janadhipatya Samrakshana Samithi (JSS) 4 1 1,82,210 1.28 6 Kerala Congress (B) (KC(B)) 2 1 91,968 0.64 7 Kerala Congress (Jacob) (KCJ) 4 2 455748 2.9 8 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 50 0 1,02,226 0.06 9 Social Action Party (SAP) 9 0 1,916 0.19 10 Socialist Labour Action Party (SLAP) 1 0 58 0.07 11 Samajwadi Jan Parishad (SWJP) 1 0 167 0.00 Others/ Independents 672 5 10,95,761 7.68 Total 1,201 140 14,262,692 100

By-constituency