Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] has finalized its list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Kerala, with prominent leaders set to contest key seats. The party’s decision was reached during the secretariat state committee meetings held on Wednesday.
Palakkad will witness the candidature of Polit Bureau member and former MP A. Vijayaraghavan, while Alappuzha’s sitting MP, AM Arif, is gearing up for re-election. The CPM is set to contest in 15 out of the 20 parliamentary constituencies in the state.
In a strategic move, four sitting MLAs, including Minister K Radhakrishnan, will shift their focus to the Lok Sabha elections this time. All three district secretaries are also joining the electoral fray. MV Balakrishnan, District Secretary of Kasaragod, will contest, along with MV Jayarajan from Kannur and V. Joy, Thiruvananthapuram District Secretary and Varkala MLA, from Attingal.
Central committee members will play a crucial role, with Thomas Isaac contesting from Pathanamthitta, KK Shailaja from Vadakara, Elamaram Karim from Kozhikode, and Minister K. Radhakrishnan from Alathur.
New faces in the CPM candidate lineup include Malappuram DYFI state president V. Vasif, Ernakulam Paravur municipal councilor and KSTA leader K.J. Shine, and KS Hamza in Ponnani.
Kollam’s sitting MLA M. Mukesh will be contesting, and Joyce George will seek re-election in Idukki. In Chalakudy, the party has nominated C Ravindranath, a former minister, to lead the charge.
A notable inclusion in the final candidate list is K.S. Hamza, who had previously been a League rebel and was expelled from the party. The decision to field Hamza was made after extensive deliberations.
The CPM aims to secure strongholds and reclaim lost seats by strategically placing popular senior leaders in the majority of constituencies. The official announcement of the candidate list is expected after the Politburo meeting on the 27th of this month.
