KK Shailaja

Senior CPI(M) leader and former Kerala health minister KK Shailaja is contesting from Peravoor in the 2026 Assembly elections, marking a shift from Mattannur, the constituency she represented in the outgoing Assembly. The move aligns with the party’s policy of not repeating candidates who have won two consecutive terms from the same seat.

Shailaja is no stranger to Peravoor. She has described the constituency as her “home turf”, noting that she spent her student years there until her marriage. She had earlier won the seat in 2006 but lost it in 2011 to Congress leader Sunny Joseph.

This time, she faces Joseph again, who is not only the incumbent MLA but also the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president. Representing the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), Joseph is seeking a fourth consecutive term from the constituency he has held since 2011.

Located in Kannur district’s plantation belt, Peravoor is a diverse constituency comprising semi-urban centres, agrarian settlements and forest-fringe villages. Electorally, it has leaned towards the UDF over the past decade, despite witnessing closely fought contests.

The CPI(M) has won Peravoor only once, incidentally in 2006 when Shailaja herself represented the seat, highlighting the constituency’s broader UDF inclination.

In fielding Shailaja, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is banking on her statewide recognition and personal popularity to mount a serious challenge in what is expected to be a high-profile contest.

Candidate Info: K K Shailaja is the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) candidate contesting from Peravoor (General) Assembly constituency for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. This female candidate is 69 years of age, according to the election affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India.