Election poster of CPI(M) leader Karayi Chandrasekharan. | Photo credit: negotiable
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) leader Karayi Chandrasekharan, accused in the murder of National Development Front (NDF) activist Muhammad Fazal, has been proposed as the party’s candidate in the upcoming municipal elections in Thalassery. Mr. Chandrasekharan, who faces conspiracy charges in the case, will contest from Chelakkara ward.
The former mayor resigned in 2015 due to bail conditions that restricted his access to the district. The CPI(M) aims to bring him back as chairman if the party retains its position. Mr. Chandrasekharan, a CPI(M) leader and area committee member, remains influential in Thalassery, where the Left expects to retain its long-held hold on the municipality.
The number of constituencies increased from 52 to 53 in this election. The Left Democratic Front has completed allotment of seats in all wards, with the CPI(M) contesting 46 seats and the CPI in five. One seat each was allocated to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Indian National League (INL).
Discussions on seat-sharing within the United Democratic Front (UDF) are coming to an end. The new department, the Guards, became a point of contention between the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), both of which claimed an organizational presence in the adjoining areas. In the remaining constituencies, the current vision is that the Congress will contest in 35 constituencies and the IUML in 17. The UDF currently has seven seats in the municipality – the Congress in three and the IUML in four.
The National Democratic Alliance is expected to announce its candidates soon. Thalassery remains the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) strongest base in Kannur district in terms of council representation and the party is looking to improve its numbers. However, recent controversies involving its leaders, including the alleged involvement of BJP leader K. Lijesh in the murder of CPI(M) worker K. Haridas in Punnol, have weakened its position. Internal tensions persist, the RSS has distanced itself from election activities and has publicly disowned the accused in the Haridas murder case.
Published – 14 Nov 2025 21:18 IST
