Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: LDF’s K K Shailaja vs UDF’s Sunny Joseph makes Peravoor a key political battleground

The contest in the Peravoor Assembly constituency in Kerala’s Kannur district has emerged as one of the most closely watched in the State, with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) fielding former Health Minister K K Shailaja against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and incumbent MLA Sunny Joseph of the United Democratic Front (UDF). 

The contest has drawn significant attention as it pits two prominent leaders against each other in a constituency that has historically leaned towards the Congress.

Located in the plantation belt of Kannur district, Peravoor is a mix of semi-urban centres, agrarian settlements and forest-fringe villages. 

The local economy is largely driven by rubber cultivation, plantation labour and small-scale agriculture.

Issues such as fluctuating rubber prices, human-wildlife conflict in villages bordering forest areas, and infrastructure gaps in hilly regions have long shaped the political discourse here. 

Farmers in several panchayats have repeatedly raised concerns over crop damage caused by wild animals such as elephants and wild boar, making it a recurring electoral issue. Both Shailaja and Joseph have raised these issues in their election campaigns.

Electorally, Peravoor has largely favoured the Congress-led UDF over the past decade. Joseph has represented the constituency since 2011 and is seeking a fourth consecutive term. In the 2011 Assembly election, he defeated Shailaja by a narrow margin of 3,440 votes. Joseph consolidated his position in 2016 with a more comfortable victory, defeating CPI(M)’s Binoy Kurian by nearly 8,000 votes. The contest tightened again in 2021, when Joseph retained the seat by around 3,000 votes against CPI(M) candidate K V Sakkeer Hussain. 

The CPI(M) has won the constituency only once, in 2006, incidentally when Shailaja herself represented the seat, underlining Peravoor’s broader UDF tilt despite periodic close contests.

This election has added a new dimension to the contest, with the CPI(M) fielding Shailaja in Peravoor after she represented the neighbouring Mattannur constituency in the previous Assembly. The move is seen as part of the party’s broader strategy of rotating candidates after multiple terms in a stronghold seat.

Addressing speculation about the shift, Shailaja has maintained that the decision was taken collectively by the party and not by individual leaders. She has also emphasised her personal connection to the constituency, describing Peravoor as her “home turf” and noting that she spent her early years in the region before her marriage.

Her candidature has significantly raised the political stakes in the constituency. While the Congress continues to rely on its organisational strength and Joseph’s long-standing local presence, the CPI(M) is banking on Shailaja’s Statewide profile and personal popularity to mount a strong challenge. During the campaign, Shailaja has framed the election as an opportunity for voters to support the governance record of the LDF government, while promising to focus on development and welfare initiatives in the constituency.

For the UDF, retaining Peravoor would reinforce its hold over a seat it has controlled for three consecutive terms.

Past election results in Peravoor

2021

Sunny Joseph (INC): 66,706 (46.9% vote share) 

K V Sakeer Hussain (CPI-M) : 63,534 (44.7%)

Smitha Jagamohan (BJP): 9,155 (6.4%)

2016

Sunny Joseph (INC): 65,659 (48.1%)

Binoy Kurien (CPI-M): 57,670 (42.2%)

Paily Vathiattu (BDJS): 9,129 (6.7%)