DH interview | Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: ‘The party is not sidelining me’, says CPI(M) leader K K Shailaja

Speaking to DH at her home in Mattannur, Shailaja addressed the reasons behind the constituency change, responded to rumours about her position within the party, and outlined the development issues she plans to highlight in Peravoor.

Kannur: Former Kerala health minister K K Shailaja, who represented Mattannur in the outgoing Assembly, is contesting this election from the Peravoor constituency in Kannur district where she faces KPCC president and sitting MLA Sunny Joseph.

Her shift from Mattannur has triggered political speculation, including claims that she is being sidelined within the CPI(M). Speaking to DH at her home in Mattannur before heading out for the day’s campaign, Shailaja addressed the reasons behind the constituency change, responded to rumours about her position within the party, and outlined the development issues she plans to highlight in Peravoor. 

Here are excerpts from her interview with DH:

You represented Mattannur in the previous Assembly. Why has the party shifted you to Peravoor this time?

The CPI(M) has a policy that when a candidate contests continuously from a constituency, especially if it is a party stronghold, that candidate will not contest again from the same seat and a newcomer should be accommodated there. Mattannur is a strong constituency of the LDF and the CPI(M), so according to that policy I had to shift. The candidate fielded in Mattannur now is V.K. Sanjoj. He is the state secretary of the DYFI and he is also from that constituency. So the party has given an opportunity to a younger leader there.

There has been speculation that this shift indicates you are being politically sidelined within the party. How do you respond to that?

That is completely false propaganda. The party has never sidelined me.

When I first contested in 1996, the CPI(M) fielded me in Koothuparamba, which was a party stronghold. Later, I was given opportunities to contest from winnable constituencies like Koothuparamba and Mattannur. At the same time, the party has also asked me to contest from constituencies that were not with the LDF at that time, such as Peravoor and Peringalam (which is now part of Koothuparamba). So the party has always entrusted me with different kinds of responsibilities. In that sense, this is not sidelining. The party is actually giving me new opportunities.

What are the main issues you are raising in Peravoor during this campaign?

One of the key issues we are raising is development. In this constituency, there hasn’t been any major push for development over the last 15 years.

The projects that are currently visible here are mainly those initiated by the state government, such as the hill highway and road development projects. But there has not been a strong push from the constituency level to bring in new development initiatives. At the same time, there are plenty of opportunities here. For example, tourism has a lot of potential in this region, but no significant projects have been proposed to develop that sector. Another issue is related to the Kottiyoor temple. It is known as “Dakshina Kashi” (South Kashi) and attracts a large number of pilgrims every year. But the facilities available for pilgrims are inadequate. We believe a comprehensive master plan should be prepared for the development of the temple and its surrounding infrastructure. That is something we have included in our manifesto.

There has been discussion about the representation of women candidates in this election. Do you think enough progress has been made?

There has been a slight increase in the number of women candidates, but it is still not enough. We have tried to field good women candidates, including in winnable constituencies. But even then, it is clear that the level of representation is not yet adequate. We still have a long way to go in ensuring greater participation of women in electoral politics.