Shailaja’s entry into the constituency has made the contest one of the most closely observed in Kerala.

Sunny Joseph, known as Sunnychaayan, has represented Peravoor since 2011 and is a seasoned politician, advocate, and prominent leader within the Indian National Congress. He currently serves as President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and Chairman of the UDF Kannur District Committee. Joseph’s grassroots connections and organisational strength contribute to his standing as a formidable opponent.

K K Shailaja, affectionately called Shailaja ‘Teacher’, is a well-recognised figure within the CPI(M), known internationally for her leadership during the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak and the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the Health Minister in the first Pinarayi Vijayan government from 2016 to 2021 and previously won the Peravoor seat in 2006. Notably, Shailaja achieved a record victory margin of 60,963 votes in the 2021 Assembly elections, the largest in Kerala’s history.

Peravoor, numbered 16 in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, is a general seat with no reservations for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. Situated in the politically significant Kannur district and part of the Kannur Lok Sabha constituency, it has traditionally been a closely contested area between the Indian National Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF.

The seat has predominantly supported the Congress since 1977, except for the period from 2006 to 2011 when Shailaja held the constituency. In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, Sunny Joseph narrowly retained Peravoor by a margin of 3,172 votes (2.30%), securing 66,706 votes (47.1%). His nearest competitor, CPI(M)’s KV Sakkeer Hussain, received 63,534 votes (44.8%). The BJP's Smitha Jayamohan took third place with 9,155 votes (6.5%), indicating a largely bipolar contest.

Voter turnout was 83.13%, with 141,734 ballots cast from a total electorate of 170,991. In 2016, Joseph secured a more comfortable victory margin of 7,989 votes (5.90%), polling 65,659 votes (48.3%) over CPI(M)’s Binoy Kurian, who had 57,670 votes (42.4%). BDJS candidate Paily Vathiattu finished third with 9,129 votes (6.7%), with turnout at 81.45% from an electorate of 167,590.

The 2026 election includes candidates from Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS)'s K Paily Vathyattu, the Aam Aadmi Party's Advocate Henstion George, and Independent candidate KS Jayachandran, though the primary competition remains between Congress and CPI(M).

Peravoor is set for a classic electoral clash, with the key question being whether Sunnychaayan will extend his winning streak or if Shailaja's candidature and previous success in the constituency will shift the balance towards the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The Kerala Legislative Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on April 9, with votes to be counted on May 4. The current assembly's tenure concludes on May 23.

The Left Democratic Front, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), includes Kerala Congress (M), Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). The United Democratic Front comprises the Indian National Congress, Kerala Congress, and Indian Union Muslim League.

The National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, also features regional parties such as the Twenty20 Party, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, and Kerala Kamaraj Congress.