Kerala Assembly Election 2021, Azhikode profile: IUML faces tough competition as CPM steps up efforts to regain former stronghold

Azhikode Assembly Election 2020 | A former CPM stronghold, the Azhikode Assembly constituency witnessed changes in the political geography post a delimitation exercise. The 2021 battle for the Azhikode seat is going to be keenly watched as UDF’s two-time MLA and firebrand leader KM Shaji is expected to seek re-election while facing accusations of accepting bribery and acquiring illegal wealth. Shaji has been accused of accepting Rs 25 lakh as a bribe in 2014 to sanction Plus Two courses at a school in Azhikode. The case garnered attention after the CPM filed a complaint with the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB). In the illegal wealth case, Shaji is accused of misusing his official position to gather funds from abroad. His party, IUML, has alleged that these cases are a result of a “vendetta” launched against him for questioning the state government over the “illegal diversion of funds” from the Chief Minister Disaster Relief Fund. Since the 49-year-old MLA reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest in January, it is unclear whether the UDF will field him for the third time. According to reports, CPM is planning to field Kannur youth leader KV Sumesh from Azhikode.

Past election results and winners

From the formation of the Assembly constituency in 1977 to 2006, LDF won the seat in every election except for once in 1987. After the delimitation exercise resulted in the merging of some UDF stronghold panchayats, CPM faced a shocking defeat by a 493-vote margin in the 2011 state Assembly election. Shaji had secured 55,077 votes while CPM’s M Prakashan Master came second with 54,584 votes. BJP’s MK Saseendran Master stood third with 7,540 votes. Though CPM hoped to take back the constituency in the 2016 election, the IUML leader managed to retain his seat — this time with a margin of 2,287 votes. He secured 63,082 votes, while CPM’s MV Nikesh Kumar polled 60,795 votes.

Total electors, voter turnout, population

Electors: According to the final electorate published by the Election Commission on 20 January 2021, the Azhikode Assembly constituency has 1,75,962 registered voters, of whom 81,264 are male, 94,697 are female and three are transgender. The constituency has 154 polling stations according to the Kerala Election Commission. Voter turnout: The 2016 Assembly election saw a voter turnout of 81.72 percent (1,40,718 voters) in Azhikode. The Assembly constituency then had 1,72,205 registered voters. Population: As per the 2005 delimitation exercise, the Azhikode Assembly constituency consists of Azhikode, Chirakkal, Narath, Pallikkunnu, Pappinisseri, Puzhathi and Valapattanam panchayats in Kannur taluk. Azhikode is located in Kannur district and comes under the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency. Kannur has a population of 22.5 lakh, including urban and rural areas.

Election date and timing

The Kerala Assembly/Niyama Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May 2021 along with Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry. The Kerala Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) has a total number of 140 seats, of which, 14 seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and two seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. The outgoing Assembly has eight female MLAs and the rest 132 MLAs are male. The incumbent Kerala Niyamasabha will expire on 1 June, 2021.

Political alliances and Kerala

Elections in Kerala have traditionally been a contest between the UDF and the LDF with power swinging between the two groups. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Congress-led UDF had won 19 out of the state’s 20 Lok Sabha seats banking on incumbency against the ruling LDF. However, repeating a similar feat in the Assembly polls is going to be an uphill task for the UDF. The LDF has not only managed to overcome anti-incumbency in the 2020 local body polls but also managed to make inroads into UDF votebanks, particularly in Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Kottayam districts. The NDA, which is emerging as a third front in Kerala, will be hoping to increase its tally in the Assembly polls. However, given that the BJP-led NDA didn’t meet the expectations in the 2020 local body polls despite making gains, its ability to impact either the UDF’s or LDF’s prospects in the Assembly election remains unclear. Of the seven Assembly segments that are part of the Kasaragod Parliamentary constituency, five are with the CPM-led LDF (four with CPM, and one with CPI) while IUML, a constituent of the Congress-led UDF, is the second-largest party, winning the remaining two seats (Kasaragod and Manjeshwaram) in the last Assembly polls. BJP didn’t win any of the seven Assembly segments that are part of the Kasaragod Parliamentary constituency in 2016.