Koyilanda, Nadapuram, Kuttiyadi, Perambra and Vadakara assembly segments in Kozhikode district, which are part of Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency, could witness some tight contests in the upcoming polls.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) currently holds the 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, tough battles are looming in Kuttiyadi and Nadapuram this time. In 2021, KP Kunhammad Kutty of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) defeated Parakkal Abdullah of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the then incumbent MLA, by a margin of just 333 votes in Kuttiyadi. Even Mr Kutty’s candidature itself had its share of drama as the seat was allotted to the Kerala Congress (Mani) for the first time. The CPI(M) had to take it back after local party activists revolted against the decision. In 2016, Mr Abdullah’s victory against CPI(M)’s KK Lathika was by just 1,157 votes.
The situation is almost similar 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. The CPI nominee this time is P. Vasantham.
The Congress and UDF are now banking on their good performance in the recently held local polls, the popularity of Shafi Parambil, the Vadakar MP, and the organizational and political strength of the IUML and RMPI in these areas. The UDF has fielded Mr. Praveenkumar, who is now the Kozhikode district congress committee president, in Koyilanda, Youth Congress leader KM Abhijith in Nadapuram and the IUML candidate from Perambra is Fathima Thahilia.
Mr Parambil had a clear lead over his LDF rival KK Shailaja in all the five assembly seats in the Lok Sabha polls. He attracts large crowds of supporters even during public meetings. In the Perambra segment, six of the 10 gram panchayats are now under the UDF government. In Nadapuram, the LDF is in power in six grama panchayats and the UDF rules in four. In Kuttiyadi, the UDF managed to win power in Maniyoor, Ayanchery, Purameri and Velam grama panchayats. Kunnummal, Kuttiyadi and Villiappally grama panchayats are under the LDF and there is a tie in Thiruvallur.
The UDF’s confidence stems from the fact that it could come to power in the LDF strongholds of Maniyoor and Purameri. Although Koyilandy has not had a UDF MLA after 2001, the front is hoping for a better show after a good performance in the local bodies. In Vadakara, ‘Janakeeya Munnani’ formed by RMPI and UDF was able to put up a good show in the recent elections.
However, the LDF is banking on the popularity of its incumbent MLAs – TP Ramakrishnan in Perambra, Mr Kutty in Kuttiyadi and K Dasan, who represented Koyilandy for two terms from 2011 and is fielding again from there. The ruling front hopes that the CPI(M) and the CPI’s traditional support base and organizational machinery will stand together with the state government’s development and social welfare initiative.
Published – 20 March 2026 20:50 IST
