In the Kerala Assembly elections of 2026, Fathima Thahiliya from the United Democratic Front (UDF) emerged victorious in the Perambra constituency of Kozhikode, receiving 81,429 votes compared to 76,342 votes for her opponent, T.P. Ramakrishnan from the Left Democratic Front (LDF). This victory makes Thahiliya the first woman MLA from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), with a margin of 5,087 votes. Thahiliya, who was the incumbent councillor from Kuttichira in the Kozhikode Corporation, faced a campaign that included allegations of communal overtones from the LDF, which attempted to portray her as a nominee of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. Despite Ramakrishnan's reported displeasure over these tactics, the UDF successfully framed the situation as an attempt by the LDF to polarize the electorate along communal lines.