The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which leads the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Keralam, announced its list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections on Sunday, March 15. Of the 81 seats it is contesting from (including six independents), the CPI(M) has fielded 56 sitting MLAs. This is unusual for a party seeking the mandate for a third time. Many CPI(M) leaders say this projects the party’s confidence and their belief that there is no significant anti-incumbency against its legislators. The number of women candidates in the list stands at 10. In 2021, CPI(M) had fielded 12 women candidates.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from his sitting seat of Dharmadam in Kannur district. Along with the CM, nine ministers of the ruling front are seeking the mandate this time.
The list includes a mix of sitting legislators, senior leaders and several new faces.
The candidate list was announced at a press conference by CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan, along with other senior party leaders. Candidates for six constituencies, including Ernakulam and Palakkad will be declared later.
Among those fielded are senior leaders including CH Kunhambu, KK Shailaja and C Raveendranath. Several sitting ministers also feature in the list, including V Sivankutty, Veena George and TN Vasavan. KK Shailaja, who won from Mattannur with a record majority of more than 65,000 votes last time, has now been fielded from the Peravoor constituency.
Former minister MM Mani and speaker A N Shamseer are some of the prominent leaders who are missing from the list. KK Jayachandran is contesting from Mani's seat while Shamseer has been replaced by Karayi Rajan at Thalassery. Mani and Shamseer were dropped from the list reportedly due to the party’s policy that candidates will not be allowed to contest from the same seat again, especially if they have done two-terms.
Mahila Association leader P K Shyamala has replaced her husband and CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan in the Taliparamba seat.
S Jayamohan will replace two-term Kollam MLA and actor M Mukesh, who faced sexual harassment allegations.
CPI(M) has fielded its sitting MLAs in constituencies which are set to witness a triangular contest between LDF, UDF and NDA. VK Prasanth will be the CPI(M) candidate in Vattiyoorkavu, while V Sivankutty will contest from Nemom. In Mattannur, the party has fielded a young face, DYFI state secretary VK Sanoj.
The list also includes CPI(M)-backed independent candidates in a few constituencies, including KT Jaleel, V Abdul Rahiman, who is current Sports and Wakf Minister, and Sujith Vijayan in Kollam.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the LDF won 99 of the 140 seats in the state and returned to power. The alliance not only secured eight more seats than it had won in the 2016 Assembly election but also increased its vote share from 43.5 % to 45. 43%.
The main opposition, the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Indian National Congress, won 41 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) did not win any seats in the election.
Full list of CPI(M) candidates
Thiruvananthapuram
Parassala - CK Hareendran
Neyyattinkara - K Ansalan
Vattiyoorkkavu - VK Prasanth
Kattakkada - IB Satheesh
Nemom - V Sivankutty
Kazhakoottam - Kadakampally Surendran
Varkala - V Joy
Vamanapuram - DK Murali
Attingal - OS Ambika
Aruvikkara - G Stephan
Kollam
Kollam - S Jayamohan
Iravipuram - M Noushad
Chavara - Sujith Vijayan
Kundara - S Sajikumar
Kottarakkara - KN Balagopal
Pathanamthitta
Aranmula - Veena George
Konni - KU Janeesh Kumar
Alappuzha
Chengannur - Saji Cheriyan
Kayamkulam - U Prathiba
Ambalappuzha - H Salam
Aroor - Daleema Jojo
Mavelikkara - MS Arun Kumar
Alappuzha - PP Chitharanjan
Kottayam
Ettumanoor - VN Vasan
Kottayam - K Anil Kumar
Puthupally - KM Radhakrishnan
Idukki
Udumbanchola - KK Jayendran
Devikulam - Adv A Raja
Ernakulam
Angamaly - Saju Paul
Kochi - KJ Maxi
Vypin - MP Shiny
Kunnathunadu - PV Sreenijan
Thrikkakara - Adv Pushpa Das
Trippunithura - KN Unnikrishnan
Kalamassery - P Rajeev
Kothamangalam - Antony John
Aluva - Am Ariff
Ernakulam -
Thrissur
Irinjalakuda - R Bindu
Vadakkancherry - Xaviour Chittilappilly
Manalur - C Raveendranath
Chelakkara - UR Pradeep
Guruvayur - NK Akbar
Puthukkad - KK Ramachandran
Kunnamkulam - AC Moideen
Palakkad
Alathur - TM Sasi
Nenmara - K Preman
Palakkad -
Malambuzha - A Prabhakaran
Kongad - K Santhakumari
Tharoor - PP Sumod
Ottappalam - K Premkumar
Shornur - PP Mammykutty
Thrithala - MB Rajesh
Malappuram
Thavanur - KT Jaleel
Thanur - V Abdul rahiman
Ponnani - MK Zakeer
Kondotty - KP Sulaiman Haji
Perinthalmanna - EP Muhammed Haneefa
Nilambur - U Sharafali
Mankada - EP Alavi
Vandur - KK Damodaran
Malappuram -
Vengara - Muhammed Tavah Kundukuzhiyil
Kozhikode
Kuttiyadi - KP Kunjahammed Kutti Master
Koilandi - K Dasan
Perambra - TP Ramakrishnan
Balussery - KM Sachidev
Kozhikode North - Thottathil Raveendran
Beypore - PA Muhammed Riyas
Kunnamangalam - PTA Rahim
Koduvalli -
Thiruvambady - Linto Joseph
Wayanad
Mananthavady - OR Kelu
Bathery - MS Viswanathan
Kannur
Dharmadom - Pinarayi Vijayan
Payyannur - TI Madhusoodhan
Kalliyassery - M Vijin
Azhikode - KV Sumesh
Mattannur - VK Sanoj
Thalassery - Karayi Rajan
Thaliparambu - PK Syamala
Peravur - KK Shailaja
Kasaragod
Uduma - CH Kunjambu
Thrikkarippur - Dr PP Musthfa
Manjeswaram - KR Jayananda