Kerala Elections 2026: Moderate Turnout In Irikkur, Azhikode Records 77.7% Turnout
Polling in the Irikkur Assembly constituency recorded a voter turnout of around 74.32% during the Kerala Assembly Elections 2026, slightly lower than the Kannur district average of 78.60%.
Voting progressed steadily throughout the day on Thursday, with voters arriving in consistent numbers at polling stations. The overall process remained smooth and peaceful, with no major incidents reported.
The constituency witnessed a key contest mainly between Adv. Sajeev Joseph of the Indian National Congress and Adv. Mathew Kunnappally of Kerala Congress (M), making it an important electoral battle in the district. Both candidates expressed confidence in securing victory, reflecting a competitive political atmosphere.
Meanwhile, polling in the Azhikode Assembly constituency witnessed strong and steady participation with the final voter turnout recorded at around 77.71%. This was slightly below the Kannur district average of 78.60%.
Voting progressed consistently throughout the day, beginning with 15.32% turnout at 9 a.m., rising to 31.57% by 11 a.m. and 47.56% by 1 p.m. The momentum continued in the afternoon, reaching 60.78% at 3 p.m. and 73.88% by 5 p.m., before crossing 77% by evening. Polling stations across the constituency witnessed heavy turnout, with long queues seen till late evening. A notable feature was the participation of expatriate voters, contributing to the huge crowd and active polling atmosphere.
Azhikode falls under the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency and has a total of 1,85,986 electors, including 88,486 male voters, 97,497 female voters, and three third-gender voters. Compared to previous elections, the turnout this year remains almost similar to 2021 (77.89%), but lower than 2016 (81.93%) and 2011 (82.45%).
The constituency is witnessing a multi-cornered contest this time, with candidates including KV Sumesh of CPI(M), Adv. Kareem Cheleri of IUML, KK Vinodkumar of BJP, and Reshmi Ravi of SUCI. In the previous election held in 2021, KV Sumesh won the seat with 65,794 votes (45.41%), defeating KM Shaji of IUML by a margin of 6,141 votes.
Overall, polling in Azhikode remained peaceful , with strong voter turnout and no major incidents reported, showing high political engagement among voters in the constituency.
(This story is part of a Timeline. internship project “Whom They Voted For: Celebrating The Election Festival”. This internship project is being organised aimed at helping young minds understand the electoral process of the country.)
