Kannur Constituency: A Close Contest In The Land Of Theyyam And Politics

All eyes are fixed on the fiercely contested Lok Sabha constituency of Kerala, Kannur, renowned as the land of Theyyam, where the Left and Congress political contenders engage in a close fight. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has re-nominated its sitting MP and president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Kumbakudi Sudhakaran. Meanwhile, while the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded CPI(M)’s Kannur district secretary, M.V. Jayarajan, as its candidate. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated a former Congress party member, C. Raghunath. A total of 12 candidates are contesting in the election from the constituency. Kerala’s 20 constituencies are on high alert for the upcoming Phase 2 polling, which will be held on April 26, 2024.

Kannur holds significant historical significance as a citadel of communist politics in Kerala and remains a stronghold for leftist ideologies. The minority vote share holds considerable importance in this constituency. In past Lok Sabha elections, the minority vote share has alternated between the Left and the Indian National Congress.

In Kannur Lok Sabha constituency, comprising 7 assembly segments, the Left appears to have an edge as evidenced by the results of the 2021 assembly elections.

Taliparamba, Azhikode, Dharmadam, Mattanur, and Peravoor have shown a clear preference for the Left parties in the elections that gave a clear majority to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for a historic second term. Despite this, the Indian National Congress has managed to secure victory in Kannur for 8 terms, with Mullappally Ramachandran, the former Minister of state for Home Affairs of India, winning the seat continuously for 5 terms. The BJP holds only around 7% of the vote share.

The Kannur constituency was established in 1977 and falls under the general category.

Approximately 30% of the electorate comprises minority voters, including Muslims and Christians. Kannur boasts a literacy rate higher than the state average, standing at 95%, according to the Ministry of Education.

Sudhakaran, a two-time Lok Sabha MP and three-time MLA from Kannur, along with CPI(M) Kannur district secretary M.V. Jayarajan, are vigorously campaigning to reach out to the maximum number of voters.

Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar led a spirited roadshow in Kerala’s Kannur on April 16 in support of Sudhakaran. A significant turnout of supporters gathered to express their solidarity during the event. While speaking to ANI, DK Shivakumar affirmed that Kerala will give 20 seats to UPA and that is the commitment of the state. He also added that they want to keep the BJP and LDF out of power.

According to a Mathrubhumi News-P-MARQ poll survey, a close contest is predicted in Kannur. The survey suggests that M.V. Jayarajan is expected to secure victory with a narrow margin in the upcoming election.

The results will be declared on June 4.

(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project.)