Kerala Left front to field six sitting MPs and MLAs

As the CPM-led Left Democratic Front finalised its candidates for all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, six sitting MPs and six sitting MLAs are in the fray.

Only two women are accommodated by the LDF, despite the progressive initiatives like the women wall organised by the party in the backdrop of the Sabarimala women entry row.

Winnability factor is the justification being made by the party State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for denying the chance for more women and new faces. In order to outfight the BJP at the centre, more Left front MPs are required in the Parliament, he said.

Though there are ten coalition partners in the LDF, the Lok Sabha seats were limited only the CPM and CPI, 16 and 4 respectively.

CPM candidates

The sitting CPM MPs to contest again are A Sampath in Attingal, actor-turned-politician innocent in Chalakkudy, M B Rajesh in Palakkad, P K Biju in Alathur, P K Sreemathi in Kannur and CPM independent Joyce George in Idukki. Sitting CPM MLAs to be in the fray are Veena George in Pathanamthitta, A M Arif in Alappuzha, A Pradeep Kumar in Kozhikode and CPM independent P V Anvar in Ponnani. Senior CPM leaders P Jayarajan is being fielded at Vadakara, K N Balagopal at Kollam, P Rajeev in Ernakulam, V N Vasavan in Kottayam, V P Sanu in Malappuram and K P Sateesh Chandran in Kasargod.

Innocent was fielded despite differences among the local party workers. P V Anvar was also being fielded despite the recent allegations against his water theme park.

CPI Candidates

CPI is fielding sitting MLA C Divakaran in Thiruvananthapuram constituency and Chittayam Gopakumar in Mavelikkara. Former MLA Rajaji Mathew Thomas will be CPI candidate at Thrissur and P P Suneer at Wayanad.

C N Jayadevan, who is the lone sitting MP of CPI in the Lok Sabha, is denied the Thrissur seat which he won in 2014. This had caused some indifference with in the party.

No LDF-UDF understanding in Kerala

The CPM state secretary said that it would be a direct fight between the LDF and the Congress-led UDF in Kerala and there would not be any understandings.

The understanding between Congress and CPM in some other states would not have any effect here. Similar situations where there during previous polls also. But the even then the LDF won up to 18 seats in 2004.

He also said that BJP would not win even a single seat in Kerala, even if they field Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah here.