KOCHI: If LDF candidate Shiji Shivaji recaptures the Kunnathunadu seat from the UDF, which will be represented by sitting MLA V P Sajeendran, in the Assembly election, she would be the first woman MLA from the constituency.
Kunnathunadu, which was a ‘reservation’ seat when formed, later became a general seat, before regaining the status of reserved during the delimitation of 2009.
It was in the delimitation of 1965 that the constituency was formed and made it a part of Ernakulam district. Formed as a SC/ST reservation constituency, Kunnathunadu became a general seat in 1977.
After 32 years, it turned into a reservation seat once again in 2009.
In the Tiru-Kochi elections held in 1951, Independent candidate Mathayi represented the constituency. After the 1954 election, it was a twin-member constituency represented by K M Chacko and K Kochukuttan. After formation of the Kerala state, the first Assembly election in Kunnathunadu was held in 1965.
K K Madhavan of the Congress was the first MLA from Kunnathunadu. For the next 15 years, the constituency was lenient towards the Left Front. In 1967, M K Krishnan of the CPM won from Kunnathunadu, while T A Paraman of the RSP got elected in the 1970 election.
In 1977, after the second delimitation, Kunnathunadu became a general constituency and P P Esthanose of the CPM won the election, and he repeated the victory in the 1980 election.
In the 1982 Assembly election, however, Congress wrenched the constituency from the Left, and T H Musthafa became the MLA. In 1987 and 1991 also Musthafa won from Kunnathunadu and made a hat-trick. In the 1996 election, in an exciting battle, M P Varghese of the CPM defeated Musthafa with a margin of just 60 votes.
In 2201, Varghese and Musthafa met once again, and Musthafa emerged the winner. In the 2006 election, M M Monayi of the CPM defeated Congress’ P P Thankachan by 20,157 votes.