The 2026 Kerala Assembly elections have seen a high-profile battle in Peravoor between two seasoned politicians. KK Shailaja, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is vying to reclaim the seat she previously held in 2006.
A former school teacher from Kannur, Shailaja rose through the youth movements to become one of the state's most prominent figures. She is best known for her tenure as Kerala's health minister, during which she led the state's response to the Nipah virus and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this election, she faces Sunny Joseph, the sitting MLA and current president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
KK Shailaja began her career as a school teacher in Kannur, rising through the ranks of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) after early involvement in the Students' Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India.
Shailaja served as Kerala's Health Minister from 2016 to 2021 under the Left Democratic Front, becoming a prominent face of the state government during key public health crises.
She led the state's response to the Nipah virus infection outbreak in 2018, containing the outbreak through coordinated public health measures including contact tracing and isolation.
During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Shailaja played a central role in Kerala's early response strategy, which drew national and global attention.
Shailaja has had a long legislative career, first elected as an MLA from Kuthuparamba in 1996, re-elected in 2006, and later representing Mattanur since 2016.
