The post-poll situation in Kannur has emerged as one of the most serious setbacks for the CPM anywhere in the state. Several posters have surfaced across party strongholds in Kannur — the home district of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state secretary M. V. Govindan — demanding the removal of Govindan and Kannur district secretary K. K. Ragesh from their organisational posts. The posters call for young CPM leader M. Swaraj to replace Govindan.
In 2021, the LDF had won 9 of the 11 Assembly seats in Kannur district. This time, its tally has dropped to six. The CPM, which had contested eight seats in 2021, polled 6,77,606 votes then. In the latest election, that figure fell to 5,92,820 — a decline of 84,786 votes. In contrast, the UDF increased its vote share from 4,09,888 to 5,54,591, indicating that a significant portion of the CPM’s lost votes shifted directly to the opposition alliance.
The sharpest erosion was reported in Payyannur and Taliparamba, where CPM rebels contested as independents with the backing of the UDF. In Dharmadam, Pinarayi Vijayan saw his vote tally decline from 95,522 to 85,614.
Reports suggest the poster campaign and local protest marches have the tacit backing of a section of senior leaders. Images of the posters are also circulating widely on social media.
Meanwhile, a recent social media post by K. K. Ragesh has drawn criticism from party workers. “Not ready to accept whatever the superiors say,” read one of the comments reacting to the post.
LDF convener T. P. Ramakrishnan said the front would examine the reasons behind the electoral setback. He also warned that those unwilling to correct themselves would have no place in the party.
