Political Turmoil in Kannur Ahead of Assembly Elections as CPI(M) Strengthens Power Duo

Mumbai, March 3: The announcement of candidates in Kannur, Kerala, has sparked significant political activity ahead of the assembly elections. With the CPI(M) district committee approving names for 13 out of 16 seats, it is clear that the power remains firmly in the hands of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and party state secretary M.V. Govindan.

The decision to deny tickets to several prominent leaders, including E.P. Jayarajan, M.V. Jayarajan, and P. Jayarajan, has raised eyebrows. Kannur has long been regarded as a stronghold for the party, both ideologically and organizationally.

It is believed that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest for another term from his home constituency, Dharmadom. The most talked-about decision involves former Health Minister K.K. Shailaja being moved from her stronghold in Mattanur to the traditional Congress area of Peravoor.

Meanwhile, M.V. Govindan’s wife, P.K. Shyamala, has been nominated from Taliparamba, which is the current seat of the state secretary. This decision is being compared to 2021 when the then-acting secretary A. Vijayaraghavan’s wife, R. Bindu, won her election and secured a cabinet position as the Minister of Higher Education.

Another surprising move was the denial of a ticket to Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamsheer from Thalassery, where he was hoping for a third consecutive victory. The party has instead nominated Karayi Rajan, who is currently out on bail in a murder case. This decision could provide the opposition with a potential issue to campaign on.

In Payyanur, considered a safe seat for the CPI(M), the incumbent MLA T.I. Madhusoodanan has been retained. However, controversy is brewing over alleged irregularities in martyr fund collections, with local leader V. Kunjikrishnan, who was expelled from the party, potentially contesting with Congress support.

Out of the 16 seats in Kannur, the CPI(M) is contesting 13, leaving three for left allies. In 2021, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 14 seats, limiting Congress to just two.

While organizational discipline appears to be intact this time, signs of internal dissent suggest that the electoral battle in this historic ‘Red Bastion’ of Kannur may be shaped more by candidate selection than by the strength of the opposition.