CPI's veteran for Thiruvananthapuram seat

The CPI state leadership in Kerala has proposed veteran leader C Divakaran as the Left Democratic Front’s candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The Thiruvananthapuram constituency assumes much significance as Congress's high profile candidate Shashi Tharoor is eyeing a hat-trick in the seat and the BJP has high hopes of opening its account to the Lok Sabha from Kerala by winning from Thiruvananthapuram.

The CPI Kerala leadership that met on Monday denied seat to its lone sitting MP C N Jayadevan and finalised candidates for all its four seats in Kerala. The central leadership will have to clear the proposals.

Names of CPI national leader Annie Raja and party's Kerala state secretary Kanam Rajendran were also considered for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.

C Divakaran is at present the MLA from Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram district and a former minister.

Former MLA Rajaji Mathew Thomas's name was proposed for Thrissur to replace Jayadevan.

The MP's unsatisfactory performance is said to be reason for his replacement.

Chittayam Gopakumar, who is a sitting MLA, was proposed for the Mavelikkara constituency, where Congress's sitting MP Kodikunnil Suresh is likely to contest again.

P P Suneer will be contesting from the Wayand seat, which is vacant following the death of Congress MP M I Shanavas.

Political analysts feel that C Divakaran could give a good fight to the Congress and the BJP as he is a seasoned politician and got a good local connect.

He may even get the advantage of a possible split in the vote bank of the Congress if the BJP puts up a good fight highlighting the Sabarimala women entry row and the economic reservation to the upper class communities.

The BJP is yet to finalise the candidate for Thiruvananthapuram, even as Mizoram Governor and party's former state president Kummanam Rajasekharan is among the probables.

The Congress is also yet to formally announce the candidate, though Tharoor seems to be the obvious choice.

In 2014, CPI fielded a not-so-popular Bennet Abraham in Thiruvananthapuram, who came in third after both the Congress and the BJP.