Thiruvananthapuram, March 3 (NationPress) An eagerly anticipated electoral showdown is brewing in Peravoor, located in Kerala's Kannur district. The CPI-M has chosen to nominate its prominent leader, K.K. Shailaja, to face off against the state Congress Chief, Sunny Joseph, in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

This strategic move, endorsed by the Kannur district leadership following extensive internal deliberations, comes despite earlier indications that Shailaja hesitated to leave her current constituency, Mattannur.

In the previous 2021 elections, she successfully secured her seat in Mattannur with a remarkable margin of over 60,000 votes, the largest in the state that year, solidifying her status as one of the Left's most recognized figures.

However, Peravoor poses a different political landscape. Joseph, a seasoned politician and three-time MLA, achieved a hat-trick of victories in this constituency during the last election.

The two candidates share a history, having faced each other before. In 2011, during Joseph's inaugural Assembly campaign, he triumphed over Shailaja in Peravoor by a margin of 3,440 votes.

Commenting on the latest developments, Joseph expressed confidence, asserting that the identity of his opponent was irrelevant, and that the Congress-led UDF would successfully hold onto the seat.

Shailaja gained national recognition during the Covid-19 pandemic as the Health Minister in the initial Pinarayi Vijayan administration. As the first Covid case emerged in Kerala, she became the public face of the state's containment strategy, garnering significant acclaim.

This momentum propelled her to a sweeping victory in the 2021 Assembly elections. However, her political journey has faced challenges since then.

Despite speculation regarding her potential as a chief ministerial candidate, she was notably absent from the second Vijayan cabinet. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections brought further disappointment when the CPI-M nominated her from Vadakara against Congress leader Shafi Parambil, who ultimately secured a decisive victory.

As Shailaja prepares to kick off her campaign from Mattannur, this unexpected shift to Peravoor adds an intriguing twist to the unfolding political narrative. The Opposition Leader, V.D. Satheesan, remarked that no one could defeat the Congress state chief in Peravoor, stating, "It is up to the CPI-M to determine their candidates. However, moving Shailaja from Mattannur to a seat likely to be lost would seem like sidelining her."

As the campaign intensifies, Peravoor is set to become a focal point, witnessing one of the most closely monitored contests in the upcoming Assembly elections.