Riding on pro-incumbency, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has emerged victorious in 11 out of the 13 Assembly constituencies in Kozhikode district.
The CPI(M)-led coalition not only retained many of its sitting seats but the front also wrested Kuttiyadi and Kozhikode South segments. However, it lost Vadakara and Koduvally to Congress-backed Revolutionary Marxist Party of India’s K.K. Rema and IUML’s M.K. Muneer respectively.
Ms. Rema, widow of slain RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, won by a margin of 7,491 votes against her nearest rival Manayath Chandran of the Loktantrik Janata Dal. Dr. Muneer defeated incumbent LDF-backed Independent legislator Karat Razak by a margin of 6,344 votes.
In a keenly-watched contest, CPI(M) leader K.P. Kunhammed Kutty recaptured the Kuttiyadi seat, defeating sitting IUML legislator Parakkal Abdulla by a slender margin of 333 votes.
Minister for Excise T.P. Ramakrishnan [(CPI(M)] and Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran (NCP) retained Perambra and Elathur seats respectively. Mr. Ramakrishnan won by a margin of 22,592 votes while Mr. Saseendran won by 38,503 votes.
The urban segment of Kozhikode North, which witnessed a three-pronged contest, was won by two-time Mayor Thottathil Raveendran of the CPI(M) by a margin of 12,928 votes. He secured 59,124 votes while his nearest rival of the Congress K.M. Abhijith bagged 46,196 votes. BJP State general secretary M.T. Ramesh received 30,952 votes in this constituency.
In Kozhikode South segment, Indian National League candidate Ahamed Devarkovil captured the sitting seat from IUML which Dr. Muneer had won consecutively in 2011 and 2016 polls. He trounced Noorbina Rasheed, the party’s first woman candidate in 25 years.
In another keen contest, P.A. Mohammed Riyas vanquished his nearest rival P.M. Niyas of the Congress by a margin of 28,747 votes. BJP State secretary K.P. Prakash Babu secured only 26, 267 votes in this segment.
LDF-backed Independent candidate P.T.A. Rahim retained the Kunnamangalam segment by a margin of 10,276 votes. Here, UDF-backed Independent candidate Dinesh Perumanna garnered 74,862 votes while BJP district president V.K. Sajeevan got 27,672 votes.
In Thiruvambady, CPI(M)’s Linto Joseph emerged victorious overcoming IUML’s C.P. Cheriya Mohammed by a margin of 4,643 votes.
CPI leader E.K. Vijayan retained the Nadapuram seat also in a tight contest. He defeated K. Praveen Kumar of the Congress. Likewise, Kozhikode District Panchayat president Kanathil Jameela of the CPI(M) won the Koyilandy segment. She defeated KPCC general secretary N. Subramanian by a margin of 8,472 votes. In the reserved constituency of Balussery, SFI leader K.M. Sachin Dev romped home by a margin of 20,372 votes Actor Dharmajan Bolgatty, who entered the fray on the Congress ticket, failed to churn the electorate in his favour.
