Kerala’s Unique Political Cycle

Pinarayi’s Hat-Trick Bid

Incumbency and Scandals

UDF’s Change Pitch

Congress Leadership Strategy

BJP Makes It Triangular

BJP’s Christian Belt Push

Why BJP Is Growing

Voting Dates and Sign-Off

As the electoral bugle sounds across Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, the nation braces itself for a whirlwind of political intrigue and upheaval. In the season opener of our special podcast series Polls on My Pod, host Nidhi Sharma is joined by ET’s CL Manoj to unpack Kerala’s fascinating crossroads. Long defined by its neat alternation between the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front, the state now watches the LDF led by 80-year-old stalwart Pinarayi Vijayan defy history with a rare second consecutive term, only to confront the weight of incumbency.
The conversation probes the gold theft scandal the UDF is capitalising on, Congress’s careful pivot to collective leadership, the BJP’s rising presence through star recruits like Suresh Gopi, and the subtle shifts in Christian-majority areas that could quietly redraw the state’s political map. As polling day nears, what trajectory awaits this historically progressive state?

Don't miss out on this special election series – Polls On My Pod!

You can follow our host Nidhi Sharma on her social media: Twitter & Linkedin

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts,  Amazon Music 

As the electoral bugle sounds across Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, the nation braces itself for a whirlwind of political intrigue and upheaval. In the season opener of our special podcast series Polls on My Pod, host Nidhi Sharma is joined by ET&rsquo;s CL Manoj to unpack Kerala&rsquo;s fascinating crossroads. Long defined by its neat alternation between the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front, the state now watches the LDF led by 80-year-old stalwart Pinarayi Vijayan defy history with a rare second consecutive term, only to confront the weight of incumbency. The conversation probes the gold theft scandal the UDF is capitalising on, Congress&rsquo;s careful pivot to collective leadership, the BJP&rsquo;s rising presence through star recruits like Suresh Gopi, and the subtle shifts in Christian-majority areas that could quietly redraw the state&rsquo;s political map. As polling day nears, what trajectory awaits this historically progressive state?
Don't miss out on this special election series &ndash; Polls On My Pod!
You can follow our host Nidhi Sharma on her social media: <a href="https://twitter.com/nidhi_sharma">Twitte</a>r &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nidhi-sharma-4439b47/">Linkedin</a>
Catch the latest episode of &lsquo;The Morning Brief&rsquo; on<a href="https://www.etplay.com/etplay"> ET Play</a>,<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr"> The Economic Times Online</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief">&nbsp;Amazon Music</a>&nbsp;

To make sense of the week’s hottest stories in business, economy, politics and markets, journalists from the Economic Times chat with reporters and industry leaders in this thrice-weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) podcast.