In Chellanam panchayat of Ernakulam, candidates visiting homes receive leaflets with three sharp questions on saving the fast-vanishing coastline. These questions demand plans to stop sea incursion, explain delays in building the tetrapod seawall, and ensure protection for the next monsoon. The leaflets come from Chellanam Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, activists leading a long protest to fix the coastal crisis. Their protest, ongoing for 2,035 days, has turned election campaigning upside down. Instead of candidates seeking votes, they must answer voters first. The government had announced a second phase of the tetrapod seawall, costing ₹306 crore, but work has not started even after five months. The first phase, completed in 2023 at ₹347 crore, built 7.3 km of seawall and a sea-facing walkway. Another ₹90 crore went to build groynes at Bazar and Kannamaly. Tidal flooding, once seasonal, now hits almost every day. It spreads beyond the coast to areas like Panampilly Nagar and Kadavanthra. In some places, residents have raised their house foundations to stay above floodwaters. But the issue gets little focus in the Kochi Corporation elections. Ashok Kumar, a leader in the residents’ council, says candidates admit tackling tidal flooding is tough as it links to global sea level rise. C.G. Madhusoodhanan of Equinoct warns that flooding will worsen between December 5 and 8, just before voting. "Candidates will have to wade through water in coastal areas," he said. This puts pressure on parties to show real action or explain inaction. Despite rising damage, nearly 2,000 claims for compensation were rejected since tidal flooding is labeled a natural phenomenon, not a disaster. At least ten coastal panchayats in Ernakulam demand tidal flooding be declared a disaster to secure aid. With elections on December 9, the sea’s surge has become a hot question and a test for leaders seeking support in the coastal belt.