Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Kerala constituency profile: UDF's K Sudhakaran vs CPI(M)'s Jayarajan in Kannur

In the upcoming 2024 elections, K Sudhakaran is contesting for the Congress and UDF, while CPM's Jayarajan is the LDF candidate. The BJP has nominated C Raghunathan as its candidate for the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency. 

The Kannur Lok Sabha Constituency in Kerala has historically been a focal point of political attention during Lok Sabha elections. Comprising seven assembly constituencies, namely Taliparamba, Irikkur, Azhikode, Kannur, Dharmadam, Mattannur and Peravoor, Kannur is considered a stronghold of the CPM.

However, in the 2021 assembly elections, only Irikkur and Peravoor were won by the Congress,  while the Congress Secular, an ally of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), secured victory in the Kannur assembly constituency. The rest of the assembly constituencies were won by CPM candidates.

Since the establishment of the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency in 1977, it has witnessed a varied political landscape. The first Member of Parliament was CK Chandrappan of the CPI, followed by K Kunhambu of the Indian National Congress in 1980. Mullapally Ramachandran of the Congress represented the constituency five times from 1984 onwards. However, CPM regained control of the constituency in 1999 and 2004 through AP Abdullakutty. The dynamics shifted again in 2009 when K Sudhakaran of the Congress emerged victorious. In 2014, PK Sreemati of the CPM won, but Sudhakaran regained the seat for the Congress in 2019.

In 2019, the main contest in Kannur was between K Sudhakarana from Congress, MP PK Sreemati teacher from CPM, and CK Padmanabham from BJP. Sudhakaran secured victory with a substantial majority of 94,559 votes.

In the upcoming 2024 elections, K Sudhakaran is once again contesting for the Congress and UDF, while CPM's Jayarajan is the LDF candidate. The BJP has nominated C Raghunathan as its candidate for the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency.