First Kerala Assembly polls after Kodiyeri’s demise; CPM stalwart’s son remembers Thalassery bond

The upcoming Assembly election in Kerala will be the first since CPM stalwart Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s passing, bringing renewed focus on his enduring bond with Thalassery. In a reflective note, his son Bineesh Kodiyeri spoke to K Rajesh Kumar, recalling his father's political journey, deeply rooted in personal connection, memory and decades of public service.

Kodiyeri and Thalassery may be place names. But for the people of Thalassery, Kodiyeri was never just a nearby locality. It was the name of someone who had taken firm root in their hearts — a presence that has not faded even in death.

For 25 years, my father served as the constituency’s elected representative. Even during periods when he chose not to contest, residents continued to approach him without hesitation. Since 1982, Kodiyeri's imprint has shaped every election in Thalassery.

Even when leaders like Mammu Master and EK Nayanar represented the constituency, my father remained the central organiser and driving force behind election efforts.

To many, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was like a bird that could soar high yet remain alert to the smallest movements on the ground. He was not a guest, but someone who belonged in every household.

In effect, he was a person Thalassery had sent to the state capital as their unofficial ambassador. Every home had a chair for Kodiyeri. In return, any resident of Thalassery could expect space at Kodiyeri's MLA hostel room in the capital.

My father's first electoral contest came in 1982, by which time he was already a recognised leader across Kerala following the Emergency. His predecessor MLA was MV Rajagopalan, my mother's father.

In 1987, when he contested for a second time, we children were very young. The first election that comes to mind is that of 1991. My father had shifted focus to party organisation; Mammu Master contested instead. I remember, after the results, my father returned home carrying both the pride of winning a hard-fought battle and the disappointment of losing power.

The 1996 Thalassery by-election is the next that stays in mind. EK Nayanar was the chief ministerial candidate, and my father was leading the campaign in Thalassery. The Congress narrative was that it was an enforced election. The party, led by my father, countered opposition claims with a strong campaign — A Chief Minister for Thalassery. The result was a historic majority for Nayanar.

In 2001, amid a strong UDF wave, Kodiyeri returned to contest after a decade. But father secured victory. A second win in 2006 led to his appointment as Home Minister.

My father used to maintain several diaries, including pocket diaries. Actually, those diaries were a repository of all people in Thalassery — my father's biggest asset. Those diaries contained contact details of most voters. They were not meant to be opened only when elections were near and closed after it. They always had the warmth of his heart. Those handwritten notes, numbers and names, multiplied together, give the political testament of Kodiyeri, the social activist.