Kerala Assembly Elections 2026: Peravur braces for high-stakes election battle as K.K. Shailaja challenges Sunny Joseph

The Peravur Assembly constituency is set for a keenly watched electoral battle, with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) fielding K.K. Shailaja, sitting MLA of Mattannur, against sitting MLA and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph.

The Peravur constituency is composed of Irrity municipality and Aralam, Ayyankunnu, Kanichar, Kelakam, Kottiyoor, Muzhakkunnu, Payam and Peravur grama panchayats. Even during the strong Left wave in 2021, the constituency remained with the United Democratic Front (UDF) when Mr. Joseph retained the seat with a narrow margin, completing a hat-trick. His victory, achieved amid predictions of an upset, underscored both his sway over the segment and the constituency’s competitive nature.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has reintroduced Ms. Shailaja in Peravur in a bid to reclaim the seat she had won in 2006 by defeating then MLA A.D. Musthafa with a margin of 9,099 votes—the highest ever for the Left in the constituency. Though her name was not raised during the initial district-level considerations, the party State leadership finalised her candidature, signalling the importance the party attaches to the seat.

Ms. Shailaja is among the most prominent and widely recognised leaders in Kerala politics. The contest gains added significance as the leaders are facing each other again after more than a decade.

Electoral fluidity

The LDF views Mr. Joseph’s slender margin (3,172 votes) in 2021 as a sign of vulnerability and is banking on consolidating its core vote base alongside Ms. Shailaja’s personal appeal to tilt the balance. Traditionally favouring the UDF, the constituency had nevertheless backed Ms. Shailaja in 2006, reflecting a degree of electoral fluidity.

She has contested in five Assembly elections, losing only to Mr. Joseph, and has served as MLA for 20 years with four victories—in Koothuparamba (1996, 2016), Peravur (2006) and Mattannur (2021). The Left is banking on Ms. Shailaja’s personal popularity and her ability to attract votes beyond party lines, a factor credited for her record victory margin of 60,963 votes in Mattannur in 2021.

The CPI(M) is hopeful of repeating 2006, especially highlighting the overall development work in the past 10 years by the LDF government across the State. The party believes that managing situations like the COVID pandemic, Nipha outbreak and natural catastrophe, including floods, satisfactorily has increased the prospects of a win. Her tenure as the Health Minister in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government had elevated her stature, even placing her in discussions as a potential Chief Minister candidate.

However, her electoral setback in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency in 2024, where she lost to Shafi Parambil, remains a point of concern. The LDF, nevertheless, believes that Peravur presents a different political landscape and that the 2021 narrow victory of Mr. Joseph could be overturned.

‘Not one-sided’

Ms. Shailaja said the UDF might have had an upper hand post-delimitation, but their victories were by narrow margins—once by around 6,000 votes and in other instances by less than 3,200 votes. That itself showed that the political mood was not one-sided, she added.

The UDF, however, contends that the prevailing political climate is marked by anti-incumbency against the Left government, which it expects will reflect in Peravur. It cites the recent Lok Sabha and local body election outcomes as indicators of a shift in voter sentiment.

While the UDF earlier held sway in only two panchayats, it has since expanded its control to five, strengthening its organisational base at the grassroots level.

‘Was with the people’

Mr. Joseph said that despite his responsibility as the KPCC president, he had been with the people of Peravur through out his tenure as MLA and has carried out works to develop the constituency, despite the hurdles and lack of development during the past 10 years of LDF rule.

Political dynamics have further evolved following the 2009 reorganisation of the constituency, making the outcome increasingly unpredictable.

The National Democratic Alliance has fielded Paily Vathiattu of the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) who had contested in the segment in 2016 and managed to get 9,129 votes.

The stakes are high for both the fronts—a defeat for Mr. Joseph would deal a major blow to the Congress leadership in the State, while Ms. Shailaja’ loss could significantly impact her political trajectory.

Published – March 30, 2026 12:17 pm IST