Jayaraj's first victory in Assembly polls was from Vazhoor, a constituency that had earlier sent towering personalities including P T Chacko, V K Velappan, and later Prof Narayana Kurup to the House.

Jayaraj's first victory in Assembly polls was from Vazhoor, a constituency that had earlier sent towering personalities including P T Chacko, V K Velappan, and later Prof Narayana Kurup to the House.

Jayaraj's first victory in Assembly polls was from Vazhoor, a constituency that had earlier sent towering personalities including P T Chacko, V K Velappan, and later Prof Narayana Kurup to the House.

Prof K Narayana Kurup's residence at Champakkara, Karukachal, had always remained open. Anyone could walk in any time to meet Kurup, former minister and deputy speaker.

His son N Jayaraj followed suit, heeding to his father's advice to be with the masses. This approach has now taken him to the second Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet.

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Jayaraj's first victory in Assembly polls was from Vazhoor, a constituency that had earlier sent towering personalities including Opposition Leader P T Chacko, Health Minister V K Velappan, and later Prof Narayana Kurup to the House.

Following delimitation, the constituency was reconstituted to form the Kanjirappally Assembly segment.

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Jayaraj will be representing the constituency in the State Assembly.

A PhD holder, Jayaraj had taught Economics at NSS-run colleges for about 25 years. He was twice a member of the Kottayam District Panchayat. He contested first for the Assembly in 2006 in Vazhoor, and defeated the present state secretary of CPI, Kanam Rajendran.

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Jayaraj, also a columnist and poet, later represented Kanjirappally three times in the Assembly.

He stood by Jose K Mani when the Kerala Congress (M) underwent a split. Despite CPI's strong demand, Jose Mani ensured that the Kanjirappally Assembly constituency went to his trusted lieutenant.

Jayaraj is married to Geetha. They have a daughter, Parvathy.