Anjana NV of Edakkad in Kozhikode wakes up at 4.30 am, rides her two-wheeler to Puthiyangadi, and sets out on a 10 km delivery route with newspapers and packet milk. Her familiar pre-dawn routine has made her a known face in the neighbourhood—so much so that the same households that wait for their morning paper now wait to greet her as a candidate in the upcoming local body polls.

At 25, Anjana is the United Democratic Front (UDF)’s nominee from the Edakkad ward to the Kozhikode Corporation, contesting her first election. As she goes door to door, many residents bless her, proud that the young woman who has long served their homes is now seeking to serve their community.

A native of Nellikapuli Palam, Anjana balances several responsibilities. Besides newspaper sales, she takes tuition classes, works at a private office, and attends a video-editing course. “I don’t like wasting time. Doing different jobs keeps me happy—and helps me support my family,” Anjana told Onmanorama. 

Her political interest began with the Kerala Students Union (KSU) during her time at MES Women’s College, Nadakkavu, where she completed her B.Com Cooperation degree in 2017. After college, she joined a local RTO agent’s office, but financial pressures pushed her to find additional income, leading her to newspaper distribution. Her father, Jayakumar, drives an autorickshaw, her mother, Sindhu, works in a textile shop, and her sister, Archana, is a paramedical student.

“I approached local agents and started with Deshabhimani, the mouthpiece of CPM. Gradually, I began supplying other papers too,” she recalls. Each morning, she joins about 20 other carriers to sort the papers, then picks up milk from the Edakkad milk society. Today, she delivers newspapers to about 130 homes and milk to 30.

By 6.30 am, she returns home briefly before leaving for her office job in Nadakkavu. Evenings are reserved for tutoring children. Alongside this, she remains active in the Youth Congress. “I didn’t expect the party to ask me to contest. When the District Congress Committee (DCC) informed me, it was a complete surprise. I’m grateful for their confidence,” she says. She also serves as the Youth Congress mandalam secretary.

Despite the pressures of the campaign, she has no intention of giving up her morning jobs. “I will continue. My family stands with me,” she says. Her goal is straightforward: “I want to support people who struggle—the poor and the voiceless. This election gives me a chance to do that on a larger scale.”

She also attends Sunday video-editing classes and hopes to pursue post-graduation once she completes the course.