Kozhikode: Even when discussions on the seat sharing and candidate selection for the Lok Sabha polls put the United Democratic Front (UDF) in politically uneasy terrain, there was only one seat the Congress was sure of its candidate.
There was no confusion in choosing sitting MP M K Raghavan, who won twice from Kozhikode, where the party does not have an upper hand vis-a-vis Assembly constituencies.
The UDF could only gain two out of the 13 Assembly constituencies in the district in the 2016 Assembly polls and both were Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidates.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Mullappally Ramachandran on Friday hinted at Koduvally about the candidature of Raghavan during his Janamahayathra.
He appealed to the public, 'to send Raghavan to Parliament with a thumping majority, if given a third chance.'
No other names were even suggested in Kozhikode, say party sources. It was in 2009 that Raghavan, a senior leader from Kannur, won in Kozhikode for the first time, beating DYFI leader P A Mohammed Riaz by a narrow margin of 838 votes.
While Raghavan garnered 3,42,309 votes, Riaz came a close second by tallying 3,41,471 votes.
The LDF was keen on regaining the Kozhikode seat in 2014 after M P Veerendrakumar – who won from the constituency in 2004 left the alliance over denial of seat.
It fielded senior leader A Vijayaraghavan against M K Raghavan.
However, M K Raghavan increased his majority to 16,833 votes. He won 3,97,615 votes while Vijayaraghavan got 3,80,732 votes.
Apart from the UDF votes, the development projects in the constituency was a favourable factor for Raghavan in getting a second term.
Favourable factors for Riaz
After current LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan failed to make an impact in the constituency, it is highly unlikely the CPM will field another senior leader this time around.
Riaz is the favourite to face Raghavan after emerging popular among grass-root level workers as DYFI's national president.
CPM sources say that being a Kozhikode native could work to Riaz's advantage in an area where the voters are predominantly Muslims. One big handicap for him during the 2009 poll was the infighting within the party between the V S Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan factions.
Now, such differences no longer surface in the party.
Popularity as a young leader who worked at the grass-root level, lack of infighting in the party and minority voters are the factors favouring Riaz, as Raghavan eyes a hat-trick of wins in Kozhikode.
If at all Riaz is fielded in Vadakara constituency, the only other name that is likely to come up in the CPM circle is Kozhikode North MLA A Pradeepkumar. However, since Pradeepkumar is not likely to choose a Parliament seat now over his current position, Riaz is seen as the ideal choice.
