As polls near, parties weigh women candidates in Kozhikode

As the Assembly elections draw nearer, major coalitions in Kozhikode are elevating high-profile women candidates not merely for optics, but to widen voter appeal and sharpen their electoral pitch.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, Kozhikode witnessed a limited yet symbolically significant presence of women candidates. The victories of CPI(M) nominee Kanathil Jameela in Koyilandy and Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) leader K.K. Rema in Vadakara, both against male opponents, stood out in an otherwise male-dominated electoral landscape.

However, Ms. Jameela’s death in November 2025 has left Ms. Rema as the district’s sole woman MLA. At the same time, the defeats of Noorbeena Rasheed, fielded by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) from Kozhikode South, and Navya Haridas, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the same constituency, highlighted the limits of nomination-driven representation.

Despite fielding women candidates, parties struggled to convert presence into electoral success — a gap that appears to be shaping their current emphasis on candidate projection and strategic positioning ahead of the next Assembly polls. Against this backdrop, major fronts are expected to increase the number of women candidates this time, with a sharper focus on electoral viability rather than symbolic inclusion alone.

The candidature of the United Democratic Front (UDF)-backed Rema (RMPI) from Vadakara is almost certain. The Congress, meanwhile, is actively considering Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Vidya Balakrishnan for Elathur, signalling an attempt to strengthen its slate with women candidates who have organisational visibility and political experience.

The IUML is expected to nominate two women candidates, including one from a perceived “safe seat”. If the party opts to field a woman candidate from a constituency in Kozhikode, the names under discussion reportedly include Suhara Mampad, Noorbina Rasheed, and Fathima Thahiliya.

In the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the CPI(M) is considering several options, including former Mayor Beena Philip, Kerala State Women’s Commission chairperson P. Sathidevi, former MLA K.K. Lathika, and former Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran. However, the party has yet to take a call on constituencies, indicating that internal assessments of winnability remain a key determinant.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to field Navya Haridas of the BJP again as its woman candidate, though there is a possibility she might be shifted to a different constituency.