CPI(M) candidates Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrasekharan, often called the Karayi brothers have won from the Padyam division of Kannur district panchayat and Chellikkara ward of Thalassery municipality respectively.
The Karayi brothers, are both accused in the murder of Popular Front of India (PFI) activist Mohammed Fazal near Thalassery in Kannur district in October 2006. They have also spent two years in jail in connection with the case.
The CBI had restricted the candidates from entering Kannur district until the case was over.
Though Kerala High Court had granted the brothers permission to file nominations, initially they did not even seek the court’s permission to enter the district for campaigning. Both the brothers categorically declared that they would win even without stepping into the constituency.
Their campaigning was largely limited to posters, social media messaging and phone calls.
The Karayi brothers have found support not just from their party, but also from others. Writer T Padmanabhan donated the security deposit for Rajan in the election, although he is a Congress supporter.
Fazal’s brother Abdul Rahman had also supported Karayi brothers saying RSS was behind his brother’s murder, not Karayi brothers.