Elections 2019 | CPM to move heaven and earth to dislodge Cong MP Raghavan in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: A tough fight is on the cards as sitting MP M K Raghavan of the Congress is eyeing a hat-trick of wins in Kozhikode constituency. The CPM is likely to field Kozhikode North MLA A Pradeepkumar to wrest the seat.

Raghavan and Pradeep are on par vis-a-vis popularity.

They have evolved as leaders who could unleash a new development trajectory, which has found appeal beyond their political credentials.

Though considered to be a strong fort of the Left, Raghavan won twice from Kozhikode riding on his personal connections.

The political rivals have been known for the respect they bestow on their adversaries.

The CPM is expected to announce its candidates only on Saturday, but Pradeep is the most probable candidate the party is betting on to beat Raghavan.

Pradeep wrested the Kozhikode North Assembly seat from senior Congress leader A Sujanapal in 2006.

He then registered a hat-trick of wins.

The development projects he initiated in government schools, especially Nadakkavu Girls Higher Secondary School and Medical College Campus higher secondary school, won him accolades cutting across party lines.

The Promoting Regional Schools to International Standard through Multiple Intervention (PRISM) project, which Pradeep tapped to initiate these programmes, boosted his popularity further.

DYFI national president P A Mohammed Riaz was earlier tipped to face Raghavan but the party is more or less veering to the idea of fielding Pradeep to wrest the Kozhikode seat.

Raghavan, who hails from Kannur, contested in Kozhikode in 2009 against Riaz and won by a narrow margin of 838 votes.

LS Elections 2019 | Infographics | Kerala

Raghavan garnered 3,42,309 votes while Riaz came a close second tallying 3,41,471 votes.

The LDF was keen to wrest the Kozhikode seat in 2014 after M P Veerendrakumar – who won from the constituency in 2004 – left the alliance.

A Vijayaraghavan, the present LDF convener, contested against Raghavan but the latter's majority increased to 16,833 votes.

He secured 3,97,615 votes while Vijayaraghavan got only 3,80,732 votes.

The constituency is set to witness a tough fight this time though the sitting MP has an edge.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.