Paravur has always favoured the Congress.
But winds of change have swept across the segment on a few occasions as the CPI, the second biggest constituent in the Left Democratic Front (LDF), won it five times. It was kind of family affair for the CPI, when it won the seat through N. Sivan Pillai for the first time in 1957.
On two more occasions, the CPI leader won the seat for his party in 1982 and 1987 before handing down the mantle to his son, P. Raju.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Mr. Raju won the seat twice, in 1991 and 1996.
Incidentally, it was a young congressman, V.D. Satheesan, whom Mr. Raju trounced in the 1996 polls, when the CPI won the seat last.
The next five years witnessed the resurgence of the Congress in the constituency led by Mr. Satheesan, who worked at the grassroots levels to retain the seat.
In what could be considered as a case of sweet political revenge, Mr. Satheesan defeated Mr. Raju in 2001. Since then, Mr. Satheesan has not looked back.
The efforts by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to end the winning streak of the Congress and Mr. Satheesan never succeeded. Attempts by the CPI to win back the constituency through Panniyan Raveendran, one of its popular leaders, too failed.
Mr. Raveendran had to concede defeat in 2011, as he fell 11,349 votes short of his political rival, who had by then established himself in the constituency.
Five years ago, Mr. Satheesan repeated his success story in the constituency by defeating Sarada Mohan, daughter of the late CPI veteran P.K. Vasudevan Nair.
What made the fourth straight victory of Mr. Satheesan impressive was his winning margin, which he doubled when compared to the 2011 polls. The last Assembly elections witnessed Mr. Satheesan emerging victorious by a margin of 20,364 votes.
With the stage set again for a political battle, the Congress High Command did not have to think twice before field Mr. Satheesan as its candidate in Paravur, which consists of Chendamangalam, Chittattukara, Ezhikkara, Kottuvally, Puthanvelikkara, Varapuzha and Vadakkekara panchayats.
Though there were reports that the CPI(M) may demand Paravur from the CPI, eventually, it remained with the later. After much deliberations, the CPI has named its local leader, M.T. Nikson, a trade union leader of the AITUC, to take on Mr. Satheesan.
In the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the seat went to the BDJS, which has fielded A.B. Jayaprakash, the district president of the party.
