KANNUR: For the first time since 1987, the CPM enters an election campaign in the district without any of the three Jayarajans — EP Jayarajan, P Jayarajan and MV Jayarajan. For staunch party supporters, the absence of the CPM strongmen — who have been controlling the party machinery in Kannur for more than three decades — could be a bitter pill to swallow. Worsening matters, and embarrassing the leadership, some supporters have already started campaigning for P Jayarajan through social media.
The name Jayarajan first came up in the electoral politics of Kannur in 1987 as E P Jayarajan was assigned to take on M V Raghavan, another mass leader of the CPM who was ousted from the party. Though the CPM tried hard to defeat the CMP founder-leader in Azhikode, Raghavan emerged victorious defeating EP by a narrow margin of 1,389 votes.
EP contested again from Azheekode in 1991 and was elected to the assembly after defeating C P Moosankutty of the CMP by 7,709 votes. As he was given the charge of district secretary, EP abstained from the subsequent elections. In 1996, M V Jayarajan entered the election scene by winning the Edakkad constituency twice in succession — in ‘96 and 2001.
In 2001, P Jayarajan joined MV in the assembly by winning from Koothuparamba. He was elected again from the same constituency in 2006. P Jayarajan too abstained from electoral politics, in 2011 and 2016, after he became the district secretary. In those two elections, EP returned to the fray and contested from Mattannur. After the party was in Opposition in 2011, EP became industries minister in 2016.
Though all three Jayarajans continue to be active in politics, the party has not considered them fit for parliamentary roles this time. While EP had to withdraw from the electoral scene in tune with the party’s decision not to field those who had won two consecutive terms, P Jayarajan’s chances ended after the party decided to keep away those who had lost in the parliament elections. Meanwhile, MV, who is supposed to lead the latest campaign as the district secretary, may not be as active as earlier given his post Covid health issues.