In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, LDF candidate of Kollam parliamentary seat, M. A. Baby, had secured a lead of 4,640 votes over his nearest United Democratic Front (UDF) rival N.K. Premachandran in the Punalur segment. This was despite the fact that N.K. Premachandran, who belongs to RSP, managed to win the Kollam seat.
However, in 2015 local body elections, the LDF emerged victorious in all the gram panchayats and the Punalur municipality which are parts of the assembly Punalur constituency.
While the sitting CPI MLA K. Raju is facing the electorate on behalf of the LDF, A. Younus Kunju of the Indian Union Muslim League is the UDF nominee for 2016 assembly elections.
| Name of the Candidate | Party Name | Results |