Kerala Elections 2021: Ruling Left Front Announces Candidates, Introduces More Young Faces

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the leading party in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, has announced its candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls. Of the 140 seats, CPI(M) is contesting from 85 seats. On Wednesday, CPI(M) state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan announced the list of candidates that party have fielded to retain power in the state.

Announcing the names of candidates, Vijayaraghavan stated that the party is contesting from 85 seats, and of these, nine are CPI(M)-backed independents. Candidates for two seats -- Devikulam in Idukki district and Manjeshwar in Kasaragod -- will be declared later.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from his sitting seat in Dharmadom in Kannur district. State Health Minister KK Shailaja will be contesting from Mattanur constituency. Meanwhile, as the party has decided to give opportunity to young faces in parliamentary politics, 33 sitting MLAs were excluded from the list including five ministers -- Thomas Issac, G Sudhakaran, EP Jayarajan, AK Balan and C Raveendranath. Earlier, the party had decided not to field candidates, who were elected to the assembly, for two consecutive times.

“The intention of the two-term rule is not to exclude anyone but to include new faces,” said A Vijayaraghavan.

The candidate list of CPI(M) includes four people aged under 30. Moreover, 12 women have been included in the candidate list. While eight candidates are aged between the 30 to 40 years, 13 contestants come under the age group of 41 to 50 years. The highest number of candidates are aged between 51-60, with 33 people and 24 contestants are aged above 60 years.

Of the ministers, MM Mani from Udumpanchola in Idukki, Mercykutty Amma from Kundara in Kollam and KT Jaleel from Thavanur in Malappuram will be contesting the polls. Jaleel, who was the Minister of Higher Education, is contesting as a CPI(M) backed independent from Thavanur.

At Nemom, the single sitting seat of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, V Sivankutty, who had earlier been defeated by the sitting MLA O Rajagopal of BJP, is being fielded from the constituency again. Former MP and youth leader MB Rajesh is the candidate for Thrithala. Former Rajya Sabha MP P Rajeev has been fielded from Kalamassery in Ernakulam district. Former Rajya Sabha MP and Kerala Karshaka Sangham (the Kerala chapter of All India Kisan Sabha) State Secretary KN Balagopal has also been included in the list. Balagopal is contesting from Kottarakkara constituency in Kollam district.

The second largest party, CPI, has also announced their candidate list on Tuesday. The CPI will be contesting in 25 of the 140 seats in the state, party state chief Kanam Rajendran told the media while announcing candidates for 21 seats.

Rajendran said candidates for the constituencies of Chadayamangalam, Haripad, Paravur and Nattika will be announced in the coming days.

"Last time we contested in 27 seats.This time we are fighting in 25 seats. The CPI(M) contested in 92 seats last time but only in 85 seats this election,” Rajendran said. "When new allies join the front, existing members of the alliance have to adjust for them. There are 11 democratic parties in the front," he added.

Kerala Congress (M) Jose K Mani faction had joined the LDF recently and has been given 13 seats and they are yet to announce their list of candidates contesting from the LDF. The other allies in the LDF have also finalised their candidates. The Janata Dal (Secular) has announced four candidates - Jose Thettayil from Angamaly, Mathew T Thomas from Thiruvalla, Neelalohithadasan Nadar from Kovalam, K Krishnanakutty from Chittur.

LJD, INL etc are yet to announce the list of candidates who are contesting from the LDF in the upcoming assembly elections.

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 - M Mukesh; Iravipuram - M Noushad; Chavara- Dr V Sujith (Independent); Kundara - J Mercykutty Amma; 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 - Jaick C Thomas

Idukki

Udumbanchola - MM Mani

Devikulam- Yet to be announced

Ernakulam

Kochi - KJ Maxi; Vypin - KN Unnikrishnan; Thrikkakara - Dr J Jacob; Trippunithura - M Swaraj; Kalamassery - P Rajeev; Kothamangalam - Antony John; Aluva - Shelna Nishad; Ernakulam - Yesudas Parappilly

Thrissur

Irinjalakuda - R Bindu; Vadakkancherry - Xaviour Chittilappilly; Manalur - Murali Perunelli; Chelakkara - K Radhakrishnan; Guruvayur - NK Akbar; Puthukkad- KK Ramachandran; Kunnamkulam - AC Moideen

Palakkad

Alathur - KD Prasenan; Nenmara - K Babu; Palakkad - CP Pramod; Malambuzha - A Prabhakaran; Kongad - K Santhakumari; Tharoor - PP Sumod; Ottappalam - K Premkumar; Shornur - PP Mammykutty; Thrithala - MB Rajesh

Malappuram

Thavanur - KT Jaleel; Ponnani - P Nandakumar; Kondotty - KP Sulaiman Haji ; Perinthalmanna - KP Muhammed Musthafa ; Nilambur - PV Anwar; Mankada - TK Rasheedali; Vandur - P Mithuna; Malappuram - Abdul Rahman

Kozhikode

Koilandi - Kanathil Jameela; Perambra - TP Ramakrishnan; Balussery - KM Sachidev; Kozhikode North - Thottathil Raveendran; Beypore - PA Muhammed Riyas; Kunnamangalam - PTA Rahim; Koduvalli - Karat Razaq; Thiruvambady - Linto Joseph

Wayanad

Mananthavady - OR Kelu; Bathery - MS Viswanathan

Kannur

Dharmadom - Pinarayi Vijayan; Payyannur - PI Madhusoodhan; Kalliyassery - M Vijin; Azhikode - KV Sumesh; Mattannur - KK Shailaja; Thalassery - AN Shamseer; Thaliparambu - MV Govindan; Peravur Zakeer - Hussain

Kasaragod

Uduma - CH Kunjambu; Thrikkarippur - M Rajagopalan; Manjeswaram – yet to be announced

List of CPI Candidates

Thiruvananthapuram: G R Anil from Nedumangad , V Sashi from Chiryankeezhu,

Kollam: GS Jayalal from Chathannur, P S Supal in Punalur, R Ramachandran from Karunagappally, Chadayamanagalam- yet to be declared

Pathanamthitta: Chittayam Gopakumar from Adoor,

Alappuzha: P Prasad from Cherthala, Harippadu- yet to be declared

Kottayam: CK Asha from Vaikom

Idukki: Vazhoor Soman from Peerumedu

Ernakulam: Eldho Abraham in Moovattupuzha, Paravur- yet to be declared

Thrissur: P Balachandran from Thrissur, VR Sunil from Kodungalloor, ET Tison Master from Kaipamanagalam, K Rajan from Ollur, Nattika- yet to be decalred

Palakkad: Muhammed Muhsin in Pattambi, K P Suresh Raj from Mannarkkadu

Malappuram: KT Abdul Rahman from Eranadu, Ajith Koladi from Thiroorangadi, P Abdul Nasar from Manjeri

Kozhikode: EK Vjayan from Nadapuram

Kasargod: E Chandrasekharan from Kangangadu