Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Segments under Vadakara LS seat could see some keen contests

Koyilandy, Nadapuram, Kuttiyadi, Perambra and Vadakara Assembly segments in Kozhikode district, which is part of Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency, may witness some sharp contests in the upcoming polls.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) currently has an upper hand in these seats and the United Democratic Front (UDF) has only one MLA: KK Rema of the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) in Vadakara.

However, this time tough fights are expected in Kuttiyadi and Nadapuram. KP Kunhammad Kutty of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in 2021 [CPI(M)] He won in Kuttiyadi by a margin of just 333 votes against the then incumbent MLA, Parakkal Abdulla of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Even Mr. Kutty’s candidacy had its share of drama as the seat was allotted to the Kerala Congress (Mani) for the first time. The CPI(M) was forced to withdraw the decision after local party activists revolted against the decision. In 2016, Mr. Abdulla’s margin of victory against CPI(M)’s KK Lathika was just 1,157 votes.

Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil and the organizational and political strength of IUML and RMPI in Vatakara are among the factors on which the UDF relies. File | Photo Credit: Special editing

An almost similar situation exists in Nadapuram constituency. EK Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (CPI) won against K. Praveenkumar of the Congress by a margin of 4,759 and 4,035 votes in 2016 and 2021 respectively. This time the CPI candidate is P. Vasantham.

Congress and UDF are now banking on their good performance in the recently held civic polls, the popularity of Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil and the organizational and political strength of IUML and RMPI in these areas. The UDF has fielded Mr. Praveenkumar, currently the Kozhikode district Congress committee president in Koyilandy, Youth Congress leader KM Abhijith in Nadapuram, and the IUML candidates from Kuttiyadi and Perambra are Mr. Abdulla and Fathima Thahilia respectively.

Mr. Parambil had a clear lead over LDF rival KK Shailaja in all five Assembly seats in the Lok Sabha polls. He also attracts large crowds of supporters during public meetings. Under the Perambra segment, six out of 10 grama panchayats are now under UDF rule. In Nadapuram, LDF is in power in six grama panchayats and UDF rules four. UDF managed to capture power in Maniyoor, Ayanchery, Purameri and Velam grama panchayats in Kuttiyadi. Kunnummal, Kuttiyadi and Villiappally grama panchayats are under LDF and there is a tie in Thiruvallur.

UDF’s confidence stems from the fact that it can come to power in LDF strongholds of Maniyoor and Purameri. Even though Koyilandy was not a UDF MLA after 2001, the front is hopeful of getting a better showing after its good performance in local bodies. ‘Janakeeya Munnani’ formed by RMPI and UDF in Vadakara had managed to put up a good show in the last elections.

But the LDF is banking on the popularity of incumbent MLAs: T P Ramakrishnan in Perambra, Mr Kutty in Kuttiyadi and K. Dasan, who represented Koyilandy for two terms from 2011 and fielded again from there. The ruling front hopes that the CPI(M) and the traditional support base and organizational machinery of the CPI as well as the development and social welfare initiative of the State government will benefit it.