KANNUR: Peravoor is preparing for a showdown between old rivals, as three-time sitting MLA Sunny Joseph takes on one of CPM’s renowned women leaders, K K Shailaja. For KPCC president Sunny ‘Vakkeel’, who is seeking a fourth term from Peravoor, winning the constituency is a prestige issue.
For Shailaja ‘Teacher’, who had won from the constituency in the 2006 assembly elections before losing it to Sunny in 2011, winning would mark both a homecoming of sorts and the settling of old scores.
Though multiple parties, including NDA constituent BDJS, have fielded candidates in Peravoor, the spotlight remains firmly on this intense battle between the two veterans.
Sunny’s political journey in Peravoor has been replete with closely-fought battles and shifting margins. In 2011, when he faced Shailaja for the first time, Sunny emerged victorious with a margin of 3,440 votes.
In the following election in 2016, his support base grew and he more than doubled his margin to a comfortable 7,989 votes, his highest. In 2021, it dropped to 3,172 votes.
However, P K Janardhanan, the UDF’s general convenor of Peravoor assembly constituency, insisted there is no real contest in Peravoor.
“The UDF will win comfortably. Our performance in the local body elections demonstrates our strength. The reduced margin in 2021 was due to specific political circumstances, which do not exist this time,” he said, adding that SDPI, which has only a small vote margin poses no threat to UDF’s chances.
The constituency brings together the Iritty municipality and the grama panchayats of Aralam, Ayyankunnu, Kanichar, Kelakam, Kottiyoor, Muzhakkunnu, Payam and Peravoor.