The political cauldron in Kannur boils over as CPI(M) unveils its assembly candidates, endorsing 13 from 16 constituencies. This move cements the dominance of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and MV Govindan, the party’s state secretary, in Kerala’s Left bastion.
Exclusion of stalwarts such as EP Jayarajan, MV Jayarajan, and P Jayarajan has ignited speculation about internal power shifts in this ideological hub.
Eyes are on Vijayan’s likely bid from Dharmadam for continuity. Controversy swirls around shifting star performer KK Shailaja from Mattanur fortress to Peravoor’s contested terrain.
PK Shyama, wife of MV Govindan, takes Thalassery—a parallel to R Bindu’s 2021 victory and ministerial rise.
The ouster of Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer from Thalassery, supplanted by bail-bound Karayi Rajan in a murder probe, promises opposition fodder.
Incumbent TI Madhusudanan holds Payyanur amid martyr fund clouds, with dissident V Kunjikrishnan potentially entering via Congress.
CPI(M) fields on 13, allies on three, building on 2021’s 14-2 triumph over Congress. Discipline endures, yet candidate selections may prove pivotal in shaping outcomes in Kannur’s enduring red fortress.