[2] Kerala saw polarisation and splits of political forces since the formation of the United Democratic Front Ministry on 24 May 1982.

The merger of the two factions of the Indian National Congress, the INC (I) and the INC (A), in November 1982 marked the beginning of the political polarization.

Before the election, the Kerala Congress once again split into two; each faction continuing to remain in the UDF.

In the meantime, there were splits in the NDP and the Socialist Republican Party (SRP).

The NDP group was led by Kidangoor Gopalakrishna Pillai and the SRP faction.