In a bizarre start to the New Year, readers of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kerala mouthpiece, Janmabhumi, were left stunned. The Kannur edition of the newspaper, on January 1, 2026, mistakenly published the entire editorial page of its political rival, the Indian Union Muslim League's (IUML) daily, Chandrika. The incident has sparked both amusement and political point-scoring in the state.
A Case of Mistaken Plates
The error occurred not at the printing press but at a private plate-making centre, a facility used by multiple publications. According to an unnamed Janmabhumi official, the digital pages of both dailies are converted into physical printing plates at this common centre. The staff then manually carry these plates to their respective printing presses.
The official explained that the blunder likely happened due to New Year's pressure. The centre was supposed to process all of Janmabhumi's pages before moving on to Chandrika's. However, in the confusion, plates from Chandrika's edit page were mistakenly mixed with Janmabhumi's and sent to the BJP paper's press. The official confirmed that the newspaper plans to take legal action against the plate-making centre, which has been servicing them for 19 years, and is also scrutinizing its own production staff.
Left's Laughter Meets Historical Reminder
As news of the faux pas spread, leaders and supporters of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), primarily the CPI(M), seized the opportunity to mock their political opponents. However, their celebration was short-lived. IUML leader and former legislator, K N A Khader, quickly reminded everyone of a nearly identical mistake.
Khader shared a photo on Facebook of the Gulf edition of the CPI(M)'s official organ, Deshabhimani, dated December 29, 2010. That edition had also erroneously printed the editorial page of Chandrika. The shared page contained an article by Khader himself, which was critical of the Left. "It created a major controversy," Khader recalled, noting that Deshabhimani had to urgently recall all unsold copies from the market.
Political Spin and Aftermath
The incident quickly took on a political hue. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's press secretary, P M Manoj, commented on Facebook with a sarcastic twist. He suggested that since the published Chandrika page contained nothing opposing BJP politics, it indicated the BJP could fully accommodate the IUML's editorial stance, calling it an "undercurrent."
In response to the error, Janmabhumi published a formal corrigendum in its Kannur edition. The notice stated that the plate-making firm had admitted to the mistake and expressed regret. The newspaper's management reiterated its decision to pursue legal recourse against the firm. The mistaken edit page featured articles by IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal and senior leader M K Muneer.
This comedy of errors highlights the shared logistical vulnerabilities in newspaper production, even among fiercely antagonistic political entities. It also serves as a reminder that in Kerala's heated political arena, no party's past blunders are ever truly forgotten.
