It's advantage Sunny Joseph in Peravoor against a struggling Shailaja in high-stakes contest
In the Peravoor constituency, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is positioning K. K. Shailaja as their candidate to challenge the incumbent and KPCC president Sunny Joseph, who has been victorious since 2011. Onmanorama will track the race in 12 closely fought constituencies including Peravoor, capturing the ground-level pulse with poll meter updates every few days.
In the Peravoor constituency, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is positioning K. K. Shailaja as their candidate to challenge the incumbent and KPCC president Sunny Joseph, who has been victorious since 2011. Onmanorama will track the race in 12 closely fought constituencies including Peravoor, capturing the ground-level pulse with poll meter updates every few days.
In the Peravoor constituency, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is positioning K. K. Shailaja as their candidate to challenge the incumbent and KPCC president Sunny Joseph, who has been victorious since 2011. Onmanorama will track the race in 12 closely fought constituencies including Peravoor, capturing the ground-level pulse with poll meter updates every few days.
Nemom, Manjeshwar, Palakkad, Kunnathunad, Pala, Kottarakkara, Peravoor and Thripunithura- Onmanorama tracks the battle in 12 closely fought constituencies where stakes are high and margins razor-thin. Our team will capture the ground-level pulse and update the poll-meter.
Going by the CPM narrative, K K Shailaja is their best bet to wrest Peravoor from the Congress. KPCC president Sunny Joseph has been invincible in Peravoor since 2011. Last time they faced each other, Sunny Joseph walked away with the glory by a margin of 3415 votes. This time, he would very much want a sizable margin.
It's a do-or-die battle for Shailaja, who suffered a crushing loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In 2021, she was denied a post in the cabinet. She was then tasked with winning Vadakara against a formidable Shafi Parambil in the General Elections, a battle she lost. As though the hurt wasn't enough, she was deprived of her seat in Mattannur and was asked to contest from Peravoor in these assembly polls. CPM almost wants to probe if Shailaja still has some fight left in her.
Personal stakes notwithstanding, Shailaja's hurdles are aplenty. The results of the recent local body elections give a clear advantage for the UDF in the constituency, with the front winning six panchayats within the Assembly segment. Party cadres harbour different views on Shailaja's candidature in Peravoor, making it all the more unpredictable for her.
Speaking to Onmanorama, Martin George, president of the District Congress Committee, Kannur has said that unlike the previous Assembly election, there is a strong possibility of a record victory this time, especially since Sunny Joseph is now the president of the KPCC. "Voters believe that he could secure a major position if the UDF comes to power. Because of that sentiment, we expect the victory margin to double this time," he said.
He also claimed that if the Left Democratic Front (LDF) fields Sakeer Hussain as its candidate, he might perform better than Shailaja in the constituency. “Shailaja may not pose a major challenge to Sunny Joseph in Peravoor this time,” he added.
The Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA), which is believed to have a strong influence in the Peravoor constituency, is also likely to extend its support to the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, potentially making the contest more challenging for K K Shailaja.
Sunny Joseph's ability to relate to the sentiments of the residents in Aralam who face constant animal attacks is also a matter of concern for the LDF. In 2023, when Aralam Farm erupted after a wild elephant killed a resident, Forest Minister A K Saseendran had to rely on Sunny Joseph to pacify an angry populace. Two years later, in 2025, when an elderly couple were trampled to death, the anger hardened into an indefinite protest. The government faces flak for failing to find remedies for people's concerns. Anti-incumbency, coupled with the dubious choice of Shailaja for the seat, has put Sunny Joseph miles ahead in the contest.