Adv. VS. Joy (born 1986) is an Indian politician and lawyer currently serving as the member of the legislative assembly (MLA) for the Thavanur constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. A member of the Indian National Congress, he was elected in the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, ending the decade-long tenure of the incumbent, K. T. Jaleel.
Early life and education V. S. Joy was born in the Malappuram district. He completed his secondary education at the Board of Public Examination in 2002 and his higher secondary education in 2004. He pursued a legal career, obtaining his LLB from the Government Law College, Kozhikode in 2012. Before his election to the Legislative Assembly, he was an active member of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and the Indian Youth Congress.
Political career Joy rose through the ranks of the Congress party's youth wings, eventually serving as the president of the Malappuram District Congress Committee (DCC).
In the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, Joy was fielded by the Congress in Thavanur, a seat previously considered a stronghold for the LDF-backed Independent candidate K. T. Jaleel. Joy won the seat with a margin of 14,647 votes, polling a total of 79,661 votes. His victory was seen as a major success for the Congress party in the Malappuram district.
Election results 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election Party Candidate Votes % ±% INC Adv. V. S. Joy 79,661 48.61 +3.84 Independent (LDF) K. T. Jaleel 65,014 39.67 -6.79 BJP Ravi Thelath 16,039 9.79 +1.20 SDPI Abdul Jaleel (S/O Kadheeja) 2,021 1.23 -0.15 NOTA 1,148 0.70 - Margin of victory 14,647 8.94 Total valid votes 1,63,883 INC gain from Independent Swing +5.32
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