The Uduma Assembly constituency, centrally sandwiched between the Kasaragod segment and Kanhangad in the south, is a traditional Left bastion. But for the 1987 election, which saw Congress nominee K.P. Kunhikannan wresting the segment with 7,845 votes margin, the LDF has been representing the segment with convincing margin in the past eight polls since 1980.
Interestingly, the UDF that enjoys sizeable support extended by the IUML from its pocket boroughs, simply lagged itself behind from soliciting the support of huge number of undecided and indifferent voters in the segment apparently over the failure to project an acceptable leader in the poll fray to end the Left supremacy.
Chance to locate the prestigious Central University of Kerala, at Periye, turning the district into an emerging educational hub in the State and the slow paced tourism related activities around the Bekal Fort, have turned Uduma as a high profile constituency and the contest this time, in all probability, should be keenly watched.
The LDF, banking upon the winning streak, this time has re-nominated sitting MLA K. Kunhiraman, who received applauds for bringing in small and medium projects into the constituency. The UDF is fielding its stalwart from the neighbouring Kannur district K. Sudhakaran and the BJP nominee is its district president L. Sreekanth.
But the Congress, unmindful of the reported opposition from a section of local party leaders, has fielded Mr. Sudhakaran hoping to end the Left supremacy in the constituency. If Mr. Kunhiraman won the 2011 polls with a margin of 11,380 votes, the UDF apparently sensed victory this time after the front shocked the Left by gaining 845 more votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
However, the LDF garnered majority of 10,554 votes from the segment in the 2015 local body polls.
