Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: 10 of the 13 incumbent MLAs in Kozhikode contesting again; no woman candidate from CPI(M)

As the final list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls is ready, 10 of the 13 incumbent MLAs in Kozhikode district are seeking re-election. There is no woman candidate from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] this time, and three councillors in the Kozhikode Corporation have thrown their hat into the ring as well.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) had 11 MLAs and the United Democratic Front (UDF) had two elected representatives here after the 2021 elections. Koyilandy MLA Kanathil Jameela of the CPI(M) passed away in November 2025. E.K. Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (CPI), who has been representing the Nadapuram constituency since 2011, is not contesting this time. Also, M.K. Muneer, incumbent MLA for Koduvally, has been dropped from the UDF candidates’ list.

Except them, all the incumbent legislators are now seeking a mandate again.

BJP former State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai receiving T. Raneesh, BJP candidate from the Kozhikode South Assembly constituency, in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
K. Ragesh

The candidature of K.K. Rema of the Revolutionary Marxist Party, who won from Vadakara last time with UDF support, was announced on Wednesday. Earlier, the CPI(M) and its allies had declared the candidature of all their incumbent MLAs except those mentioned above. In Koyilandy, K. Dasan, former MLA, has been fielded. In Nadapuram, the LDF candidate from the CPI is P. Vasantham. The UDF has chosen Muslim Youth League leader P.K. Firos for Koduvally.

Woman candidates

Meanwhile, there are no woman candidates from the CPI(M) in the LDF list. The only woman candidate from the front is Ms. Vasantham. In the UDF, there are three woman candidates — Fathima Thahiliya of the IUML in Perambra, Vidya Balakrishnan of the Congress in Elathur, and Ms. Rema in Vadakara. The National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) lone woman candidate is Navya Haridas in Kozhikode North.

Another interesting fact is the presence of three sitting councillors in the Kozhikode Corporation in the election: T. Raneesh (Kozhikode South) and Ms. Haridas of the NDA and Ms. Thahiliya of the UDF.