Elections 2019 | All sitting MPs, except P Karunakaran, to contest for CPM

Kochi: The CPI(M) state secretariat has decided to field all sitting MPs from Kerala, except P Karunakaran, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the secretariat is continuing discussions over the Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Chalakudy seats.

Meanwhile, the secretariat decided on Tuesday that A M Arif will contest from Alappuzha as CPI(M) candidate. C S Sujatha’s name was also under consideration for the Alappuzha seat. The decision came when doubt looms over sitting Congress MP K C Venugopal's candidacy.

The CPI(M) will name its own nominee for Kottayam, instead of the Janata Dal which had been allotted the seat last time. In place of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta will be given to the LDF allies.

Sitting MPs A Sampath, M B Rajesh and P K Sreemathi will be the nominees from Attingal, Palakkad and Kannur respectively.

Though there was a move to field K Radhakrishnan in place of P K Biju from Alathur, it was later dropped as CPI(M) felt that replacing the sitting MP and a representative of the youth with a senior leader might give a wrong signal to the electorate.

Meanwhile, Joyce George MP will contest again as a Left-backed independent from Idukki.

With sitting MP Karunakaran out of the picture in Kasaragod, the party’s choice is the district secretary and former MLA K P Satheesh Chandran.

In Kozhikode, the CPI(M)’s first choice is Muhammed Riyaz, but there is a plan to field A Pradeep Kumar MLA to take on UDF candidate M K Raghavan.

At Vadakara, though C S Sathi Devi is the most likely candidate, Muhammed Riyaz is also being considered. In case the CPI(M), which had organized the ‘Women’s wall’, decides to field a woman candidate from a seat apart from Kannur, it would be Vadakara.

There were discussions to make actor Innocent contest again from Chalakudy, but now there is more support for the move to field former MLA Saju Paul. Saju Paul, who had lost by a wafer-thin margin in the Assembly elections, has a good winning chance now, it is felt.

In Ernakulam, the only name under consideration is CPI(M) district secretary P Rajeev. However, there are discussions to make Innocent the candidate from here.

Former MP and present MLA Suresh Kurup has the best chance to be the CPI(M) nominee for Kottayam. Another name doing the rounds is that of V N Vasavan, the party’s district secretary. However, Suresh Kurup, with is popular image, has an upper hand.

Regarding Pathanamthitta, differences of opinion persist in CPI(M). A decision on whether to allot the seat to Francis George faction, the Janata Dal or field the CPI(M)’s own candidate is yet to be taken. In Kollam, the party’s district secretary K N Balagopal is certain to contest against N K Premachandran.