Mattannur is not a constituency whose political character brooks any thought of change. The rival UDF’s major challenge in this stronghold of the CPI(M) will be to make a dent in it. E.P. Jayarajan won the election in 2011 with a thumping margin of 30,512 votes.
The constituency came into existence in 2011. All the eight panchayats and Mattannur municipality in the constituency are places where CPI(M) holds considerable sway.
As the Kannur international airport under construction is in the constituency, the UDF will highlight the hectic progress of the project works and the trial landing during the election campaign. The LDF had boycotted the public function on February 29 to mark the trial landing.
Mr. Jayarajan is all likely to seek re-election from the seat. The picture is not yet clear in the UDF. In the last election, the UDF fielded Janata Dal (U)’s Joseph Chavara. As the UDF’s minor constituents are not likely to show any particular enthusiasm about contesting in the constituency, there is a perception in the Congress that it can offer a challenge to the CPI(M) if a Congress candidate is fielded.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, CPI(M) candidate for the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency P.K. Sreemathy secured a margin of 20,733 votes in the Mattannur segment over her rival K. Sudhakaran of the Congress.
In the 2011 Assembly election, the BJP’s vote share in the constituency was 8,707.
