Kerala Assembly polls 2026: In rapidly urbanising Kozhikode North, a closer electoral contest looms

As Kozhikode continues to grow into a bustling urban centre with metropolitan aspirations, Kozhikode North has emerged as one of the most urbanised Assembly constituencies in north Kerala. Home to several key administrative institutions and educational establishments, the constituency reflects the city’s evolving urban character and complex electoral dynamics.

The constituency largely comprises 32 divisions of the Kozhikode Corporation and is characterised by a sizeable upper and middle-class voter base. Its demographic profile is dominated by the Hindu community, which accounts for more than 60% of the electorate, with Nairs forming the majority. Muslims and Christians constitute roughly 25% and 15% of the population, respectively.

The results of the 2025 three-tier local body elections suggest a competitive political landscape. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) secured a slight advantage, winning 15 wards, compared with 11 for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and six for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Although the LDF enjoys an edge in the constituency, Kozhikode North cannot be described as an impregnable Left stronghold. The constituency’s electoral history reflects a mix of continuity and occasional shifts in political control.

The segment, earlier known as Kozhikode-I before the delimitation of Assembly constituencies in 2008, remained largely under the influence of the CPI(M) from 1977 onwards. The Congress managed to break this hold when its leader A. Sujanapal won the seat in the 1991 Assembly elections. CPI(M) leader M. Dasan reclaimed it in 1996, only to lose it again to Mr. Sujanapal in the 2001 polls.

Since 2006, however, the CPI(M) has regained a firm foothold in the constituency after fielding A. Pradeep Kumar, who won the seat comfortably and held it for successive terms. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party replaced him with Thottathil Raveendran, a two-time Mayor of Kozhikode, who secured a relatively comfortable victory, enjoying a virtual cakewalk aided by his personal popularity and the groundwork laid by his predecessor, Mr. Kumar.

The CPI(M) has already announced incumbent Mr. Raveendran as its candidate for the upcoming election. The BJP has fielded Corporation councillor Navya Haridas. The Congress is yet to name its nominee, though the party plans to nominate Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary K. Jayanth.

However, the electoral arithmetic indicates that the contest could be more competitive this time. The performance of the UDF and NDA in the recent local body elections, coupled with the BJP’s gradual rise in vote share in Assembly polls, suggests that Kozhikode North might witness a more closely fought three-cornered battle.