Thiruvananthapuram/Ernakulam: VD Satheesan, the Congress legislator representing the Paravur constituency, has been bothering the CPM leadership for a while by raising pertinent issues that often embarrassed the government. In a bid to take the battle to the enemy, the CPM is reportedly planning to field its own candidate in Paravur after swapping it with ally CPI for the upcoming state polls.
The CPM has expressed its desire to contest in Paravur, a seat where the CPI has faced defeat constantly. The proposal is to give the Piravom legislative assembly constituency instead to the CPI.
Satheesan has been winning continuously from Paravur since 2001. But the CPM fancies its chance now as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had performed extremely well in areas that constitute the assembly constituency during the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2020 local body elections.
Is CPI willing?
As of now the CPI does not want to give up the difficult Paravur seat. Its Ernakulam district leadership has been insisting that such a proposal has not even been mooted.
The CPM has also suggested that Balussery from where it has been contesting, and Nadapuram, which is with the CPI, should be swapped. Both are sitting seats of the two parties, leading constituents of the LDF, and fall within Kozhikode district.
The CPI is yet to take a call on the proposals. Balussery is also a reserved constituency.
The CPI wouldn’t mind parting with Irikkur, the constituency in Kannur district from where it has been contesting without success. It does not have any objection to hand it over to the Kerala Congress (Mani). In exchange the CPI wants to contest from the Kannur constituency if Ramachandran Kadannappally of the Congress (S) is not keen on contesting from there.
Anyway, the CPI will not accept any plan that leaves it with no seat to contest from in Kannur district.
The CPM is also ready to hand over to the CPI the Aroor seat in Alappuzha district, where the former faces a few organisational problems. It prefers Haripad or Cherthala to Aroor. The CPI, however, has not let known its stance on this proposal too.
The CPI has almost come to terms with the fact it will have to cede Kanjirapally in Kottayam district to the Kerala Congress (Mani). It is, however, not going back on its demand that it will need another seat in lieu.
LDF in a spot in Chavara
The LDF candidate selection for the Chavara seat in Kollam district will not be easy. In the last elections, after the CPM had announced that N Vijayan Pillai will be its candidate, he was made a nominee of the CMP with a purpose. With Vijayan Pillai's death (in 2020), his son is being considered as a candidate for the seat in the coming election.
CPI, a dominant force in Kollam district, won't be happy if CPM decides to field its candidate in Chavara as it will give an upper hand to the latter.
In the past, both the parties have contested from equal number of seats in the district. The CPI doesn't want the CPM to contest in more number of seats. To avoid such a situation, Vijayan Pillai's son will be made to contest either as an Independent supported by the Left or as a nominee of any other alliance party as directed by the CPM.
