The Kannur Municipal Corporation is the municipal corporation that administers the city of Kannur, Kerala. Established in 2015, the Corporation's first mayor was E. P. Latha. Kannur Corporation has two assembly constituencies – Kannur Assembly constituency and Azhikode Assembly constituency – both of which are part of the Kannur parliamentary constituency. The Corporation is headed by a Mayor and council, and manages 78.35 km2 of Kannur city, with a population of about 232,486 within that area. Kannur Municipal Corporation has been formed with functions to improve the infrastructure of town.

History

The ancient port of Naura, which is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as a port somewhere north of Muziris is identified with Kannur. Ezhimala was the headquarters of a powerful kingdom who later became Mushika dynasty in the ancient period. Kannur was an important trading centre in the 12th century, with active business connections with Persia and Arabia. In his book on travels (Il Milione), Marco Polo recounts his visit to the area in the mid 1290s. Other visitors included Faxian, the Buddhist pilgrim and Ibn Batuta, writer and historian of Tangiers. Kannur was the capital city of Kolathunadu, one of the four powerful kingdoms who ruled Kerala during the medieval period.

The arrival of Portuguese at Kappad, Kozhikode in 1498 during the Age of Discovery, opened a direct sea route from Europe to India.DC Books, Kottayam (2007), A. Sreedhara Menon, A Survey of Kerala History The St. Angelo Fort at Kannur was built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India. The Dutch captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1663. They modernized the fort and built the bastions Hollandia, Zeelandia, and Frieslandia, which are major features of the present structure. The original Portuguese fort was pulled down later. A painting of this fort and the fishing ferry behind it can be seen in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. The Dutch sold the fort to the king Ali Raja of Arakkal in 1772.

During the 17th century, Kannur was the capital city of the only Muslim Sultanate in the Malabar region - Arakkal. Arakkal Kingdom and Chirakkal kingdom were two vassal kingdoms based in the city of Kannur. The Ali Rajas of Arakkal kingdom, near Kannur, who were the vassals of the Kolathiri, ruled over the Lakshadweep islands. The island of Dharmadom near Kannur, along with Thalassery, was ceded to the East India Company as early as 1734, which were claimed by all of the Kolattu Rajas, Kottayam Rajas, and Arakkal Bibi in the late medieval period, where the British initiated a factory and English settlement following the cession. The British conquered the fort Kannur in 1790 and used it as one of their major military stations on the Malabar Coast. During the British Raj, Kannur was part of the Madras presidency in the Malabar District. It served as the British military headquarters on India's west coast until 1887. Kannur Cantonment is the only cantonment board in Kerala.

Kannur municipality was formed on 1 November 1866 according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850) of the British Indian Empire, making it the second oldest municipality in the state. The Kannur Municipal Corporation was created by merging the erstwhile Municipality of Kannur, and Panchayats of Pallikunnu, Puzhathi, Edakkad, Elayavoor, and Chelora in 2015.

Revenue sources

The following are the Income sources for the Corporation from the Central and State Government.

Revenue from taxes Following is the Tax related revenue for the corporation.

Property tax. Profession tax. Entertainment tax. Grants from Central and State Government like Goods and Services Tax. Advertisement tax.

Revenue from non-tax sources

Following is the Non Tax related revenue for the corporation.

Water usage charges. Fees from Documentation services. Rent received from municipal property. Funds from municipal bonds.

Structure The Mayor is the elected head of the Kannur Municipal Corporation, assisted by a Deputy Mayor. Both are elected from among the councillors for a five-year term. The Corporation functions through six standing committees such as Finance, Development, Health, Education and Sports, Tax Appeal, Town Planning, and Welfare. Councillors are elected from wards and form the council, which elects the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and standing committee chairpersons. Each council has a five year term and election occurs in every five years.

The administrative wing is headed by the Corporation Secretary, appointed by the Government of Kerala, and assisted by an Additional Secretary and other government-appointed officers. The secretary is tasked with implementing council decisions and its administrative functions.

Divisions (Wards) For effective representation and administration, the Kannur Municipal Corporation is divided into 56 wards, each represented by an elected councillor. Voters in each ward of the Kannur Municipal Corporation elect their councillor every five years.

Current Members of the Corporation

The following is a list of the councillors of Kannur Corporation for the 2025–2030 term, as elected in the 2025 local body election.

Mayor: Adv.P.IndiraDeputy Mayor: K.P.TahirWard DetailsCouncillor Party AllianceRemarksNo.Name 1 Palliyammoola Deepa P. 2 Kunnav K. Seetha 3 Kokkenpara P. Mahesh 4 Pallikunnu Deepthi Vinod 5 Thalappu T. P. Jamal 6 Udayamkunnu Anoop Balan 7 Podikundu V. Purushothaman 8 Kottali Usha Kumari K. 9 Athazhakunnu Sreeja K. 10 Kakkadu Shabeer Kunjipally 11 Thulicheri Majesh A. K. 12 Kakkadu North Zubair Kichiri 13 Shadulipalli Muhammad Ali V.K. 14 Pallipram Arshad A. 15 Varam K. P. Tahir Deputy Mayor 16 Valiyannoor K. Suma 17 Chelora K. Saraswathi 18 Macheri A. Pramila 19 Pallippoyil M. Rafeeq 20 Kappadu C. C. Gangadharan 21 Elayavoor North Bismillah Bibi 22 Elayavoor South Vijina K. K. 23 Mundayad Sreeja Madathil 24 Edachovva T. Pradeep 25 Athirakam K. T. Murshid 26 Kappicheri Nijesh O. V. 27 Melechovva Dr.K. C. Vatsala 28 Thazhechovva E. Sunila 29 Keezhuthalli Seena K. P. 30 Thilanoor V. K. Prakashini 31 Attadappa M. Priya 32 Chala P. K. Preetha 33 Edakkadu Prashant T. 34 Ezhara Faslim T. P. 35 Alingeel Adv.Sona Jayaram 36 Keezhunna Sruthi K. P. 37 Thottada Sunila P. 38 Adikadalayi Rijil Chandran Makkutti. 39 Kanhira Manjusha P. 40 Kuruva A. Mithran 41 Padanna Shamima Teacher 42 Vethilapalli Muhammad Shibil K. K. 43 Neerchal Nizami C. 44 Arakkal Sameera K. None 45 Chovva M. P. Anilkumar 46 Thana Risham Thana. 47 South Bazar E. Bina 48 Temple Adv.Archana Vandichal 49 Thayatheru Adv.Lisha Deepak 50 Kazanakotta Sahad M. 51 Ayikkara Sirajuddin M. 52 Kanathoor Reshma Vinod 53 Payyambalam Adv.P. Indira Mayor 54 Thalikkavu Ajith Parakkandi 55 Chalad Rafna C. V. 56 Panjikayil Umeshan K.

Election results Corporation Election 2025 S.No. Party name Party symbol Number of Corporators ChangeMap1. UDF 36 22. LDF 15 43. BJP 04 34. IND 01

Corporation Election 2020 S.No. Party name Party symbol Number of Corporators Change1. UDF 34 72. LDF 19 73. BJP 01 4. IND 01

Kannur Municipal Corporation Election 2015 +Kannur Municipal Corporation Election 2015S.No. Party name Party symbol Number of Councillors 01 UDF 27 02 LDF 27 03 Independents 01

Mayors of Kannur

Mayors of Kannur From Until Incumbent Party November 2015 September 2019 E. P. Latha Communist Party of India (Marxist) September 2019 July 2020 Suma BalakrishnanIndian National Congress July 2020 December 2020 C. SeenathIndian Union Muslim LeagueDecember 2020December 2023T.O MohananIndian National Congress December 2023 December 2025 Muslih MadathilIndian Union Muslim LeagueDecember 2025Incumbent P. IndiraIndian National Congress Source(s):

Deputy Mayors

Deputy Mayors of Kannur From Until Incumbent Party November 2015 December 2020 P. K. Ragesh Independent December 2020 December 2025 K. ShabeenaIndian Union Muslim LeagueDecember 2025Incumbent K.P ThahirIndian Union Muslim League Source(s):

References

External links Official website