Ahead of polls, Kerala parties wage poster war

LDF’s road campaigns appear few and far between, but they have gone big on hoardings

The Left Democratic Front’s mammoth billboards towered over those of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) along the Palakkad-Thrissur highway. They rose from a sweep of green by the lake and beneath the thick cover of trees, interrupted only by a kilometre-long twin-tube Kuthiran tunnel and stone arch bridges.

A ride into the city centre in an electric autorickshaw, gliding over recently laid roads, revealed more billboards from all parties — candidates smiling down at the people, rather than engaging with them on the ground. A special mention goes to the LDF’s hoardings that portrayed a larger-than-life picture of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, wearing a calm yet measured smile. The billboards dominated by strokes of mostly red, purple and green remained discreet without overshadowing the leader.

They highlighted the party’s achievements — women’s safety, uninterrupted ration supply, jobs and development, while other party hoardings detailed their public outreach and sought a mandate to oust the sitting MLAs. The political rivals came together to set the billboard phenomenon rolling across Kerala as they simply did not have enough time for canvassing, thanks to the limited time-frame given by the Election Commission, which was generous to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal that go to polls towards the end of April.

campaign style

But QR codes on some of the hoardings made up for the lost engagement, inviting voters to access information about the party, its promises and policies. Driver Joby PV, engaged enthusiastically in a poll chat, and said that parties seem to have made a shift in their campaign style this time. LDF’s road campaigns appear few and far between but they have gone big on hoardings, said the 45-year-old.

The flower vendors and lottery ticket agents at a sprawling intersection at the mouth of the city centre were witnesses to the giant hoardings being set up. “Few rallies were held at key locations in the city centre, but otherwise the hoardings are all what we are left with,” they said. Campaign boards of key contenders — some occasionally gigantic — sat snugly amid the signages of popular food chains, clothing outlets and hypermarkets on the city centre skyline. The result resembled a poster war, one that the ruling party appears to be winning hands down.

sheer waste

Fifty-seven-year-old Suresh P, deputy manager at a civil construction establishment, alleged that the grandiose billboards were a sheer waste of government funds by the LDF. There were posters against kerbs, on walls and tree trunks — all presenting candidates dressed in their election best and flashing winning smiles in a quiet co-existence — to catch the eye of the people of Thrissur, who are dividing their attention between the election and the Thrissur Pooram festivities unfolding around the 1,600-year-old Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple at the Swaraj Round.

With the poster war serving as a precursor to the election around the corner, the battle for visibility has found space in every nook and cranny of the State.

Published on April 6, 2026