From CM Pinarayi Vijayan to footballer Sharafali: CPI(M) unveils Kerala poll line-up

Thiruvananthapuram: From sitting MLAs including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to freshers like former Indian footballer U Sharafali, the CPI(M) in Kerala has announced the candidates for the Assembly polls soon after the Election commission declared the poll schedules.

All ministers from the CPI(M) are among the 56 sitting MLAs to seek mandate again.

CPI, the second largest constituent in the Left Democratic Front (LDF), also decided to field the four incumbent ministers among the 25 candidates.

A surprise candidate of CPI(M) is footballer Sharafali at Nilambur in Malappuram district, which is part of Wayanad Lok Sabha seat represented by AICC leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The CPI(M) could be expecting that the footballer could influence the football fans of Malappuram. Sitting MLA Aryadan Shoukath of the Congress is most likely to seek mandate from Nilambur again.

Eighty-year-old Vijayan is seeking mandate from his home constituency Dharmadam in Kannur for the third consecutive term, with exemption from the general norm not to give more than two consecutive terms as well as relaxations in age.

Many others were also given relaxation in the maximum two consecutive term norm to ensure that the party wins maximum number of seats.

Tough fight for Shailaja 

While most sitting MLAs are contesting again from their sitting seats, former health minister K K Shailaja, who secured the highest victory margin of 60,963 in party stronghold Mattanur in Kannur in 2021, has been now assigned a tough task of winning back Peravoor in Kannur, from where she suffered a defeat against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph in 2011. Despite being a seat held by Congress over the years, Shailaja won from Peravoor in 2006. But she lost to Sunny Joseph in 2011. Since then Joseph won three consecutive elections and is likely to contest again.

While critics say that Shailaja, who was even considered as a CM probable in 2021, is being sidelined, party's justification is that a strong fight is being given to Congress top leader by fielding Shailja there.

Incumbent health minister Veena George is among those given exemption in the maximum two-consecutive term norm even as there were widespread criticisms over the back-to-back serious medical negligence allegations and lack of basic infrastructure in the state health sector . 

Among those dropped by CPI(M) include speaker A N Shamseer and actor-turned politician M Mukesh, who faced sexual allegations.

Karayi Rajan, who was accused in political murder cases, will replace Shamseer at Thalaserry.

The new faces also include party state secretary M V Govindan's wife P K Shyamala, who is also a party local leader. She will contest from party stronghold Kannur.

As public works minister A Mohammed Riyaz, who is also the son-in-law of Pinarayi Vijayan, is contesting for the second time from Beypore in Kozhikode, former CPI(M) independent MLA P V Anvar, who is now with the Congress-led United Democratic Front, already announced that he would take on Riyaz at Beypore. 

Labour minister V Sivankutty will contest again from Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram, where BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar is planning to contest with the aim of winning back the party's maiden seat. BJP had opened its account in Kerala Assembly in 2016 with veteran leader O Rajagopal winning Nemom. But in 2021 the party lost the seat. 

The CPI(M) is yet to announce a candidate at Palakkad, where the BJP is pinning high hopes.