LS election: CPM busy scouting for right candidates

Thiruvananthapuram: With barely three months to go for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) is considering to stick to the traditional approach of picking ‘winnable candidates’ in a bid to wrest UDF’s traditional strongholds.

The political circles are abuzz with conjectures about possible candidates in each constituency. In segments where the CPI(M)’s chances of winning are bleak, the party has an open mind to welcome winnable candidates from among the LDF constituents.

Party state secretariat member K N Balagopal is the frontrunner for the Kollam Lok Sabha constituency where politburo member M A Baby lost to RSP’s N K Premachandran in the 2014 elections.

The CPI(M) had been planning to field another party secretariat member K J Thomas in Pathanamthitta, but now the party is looking to present a candidate who is acceptable to all sections of society taking into consideration the political impact of Sabarimala verdict. Although Kerala Congress (Democratic) chairman Francis George has evinced keenness to contest from Pathanamthitta, the LDF is also weighing the option of fielding K B Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B), one of the new front constituents, there.

The front is yet to finalise its candidate to take on Congress’s sitting MP K V Thomas in Ernakulam. A traditional UDF bastion, the constituency has seen the LDF experimenting with non-party candidates in elections in the past in its efforts to make inroads into non-Left votes. Though state secretariat member P Rajeev figures as one of the possible choices, the party is learnt to be in touch with prominent left sympathisers in the constituency, keeping in mind caste and religious arithmetic.

Among the probable candidates for the Alappuzha parliamentary constituency are A M Arif MLA and C S Sujatha. However, a section of the CPI(M) leaders is of the opinion that fielding ministers Thomas Isaac or G Sudhakaran would boost party’s chances there. If Baby decides to contest, there is a high possibility of him being fielded from Alappuzha.

The two names that have been doing the rounds as candidates for the Kozhikode seats are P A Muhammed Riyas and A Pradeep Kumar MLA. P Sathidevi would be the hot favourite for the Vadakara seat if P K Sreemathi opts out of poll fray.

JD(S) bargains hard

The Janata Dal (Secular), which was allotted the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat in 2014, is understood to have expressed disinterest in contesting from there once again. The party has staked claim for one of the following three seats: Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam.

Moreover, the CPI(M) Kottayam district committee has urged the state leadership to field own candidate in the constituency. If the CPI(M) takes over the seat, one among P K Harikumar, K J Thomas, V N Vasavan, Jaick C Thomas or Suja Soosan George may get the nod.

Banking on popularity

Will the CPM be able to mount an effective challenge to the Muslim League in the latter’s strongholds? In Ponnani, where the LDF fancies its chances, the front is contemplating on fielding a popular independent candidate to facilitate the flow of discontented UDF votes to its side.

The names of front-runners for the seat include Niyas Pulikkalakath, who came up with an impressive show against IUML strongman P K Abdu Rabb in in Tirurangadi in the last assembly elections. Another potential candidate is V Abdurahman MLA, who contested against E T Muhammed Basheer and brought down Muslim League’s victory margin substantially.

Speculation was rife that K T Jaleel would contest from Ponnani, but the alleged charges of nepotism against him have marred his prospects.

Though the CPI(M) is desperate to field a strong candidate in Malappuram, the party is yet to zero in on one. According to speculation doing the rounds, former MLA V Sasikumar and SFI national president V P Sanu are being considered as LDF’s candidate in the Malappuram constituency.