Thiruvananthapuram: Setting all speculations to rest, KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran has announced that he would not contest the forthcoming assembly polls in Kerala.
Senior leaders like V M Sudheeran, P J Kurien, P C Chacko have also made it clear in Congress election committee meeting that the young generation be experimented and they need not be considered for contesting polls. This has created an impression that the Congress might have a list packed with new faces. At the same time there are reports that the high command might consider Muallapally's case during the next round of discussions.
Mullapally has stated that the senior leaders who have been contesting continuously should stay out of the fray. But winning successive elections should not be seen as an in eligibility. Sudheeran has suggested that those who have contested four times and those above 70 years should make way for youngsters. At the same time the seniors whose presence is inevitable, should be in the electoral fray.
After the election committee meeting K Muraleedharan and K Sudhakaran said none of the MPs are contesting this time. "The reports that I will be contesting either from Nemom or Vattiyoorkavu are only in the realm of speculation," Muraleedharan said.
There will be no seat for Muslim League legislature party deputy leader V K Ibrahm Kunju because of being arraigned as an accused in the Palarivatom corruption case. Instead, Kunju's son and League's Ernakulam district general secretary V K Abdul Gafoor will be considered from the seat. In order to monitor the election campaign of the Muslim League, state general secretary K P A Majeed will also stay away from battle. The League is considering shifting Azhikode MLA K M Shaji to Kasaragod. The seat sharing of UDF will be finalised soon.
CPM
Minister A K Balan's wife and former director of helath service P K Jameela's name figures in the list of probable candidates prepared by CPM Palakkad district committee. Balan has chosen to stay out of electoral fray this time.
However, sources close to Balan denied reports that his wife was being considered for Tharoor constituency. Former district panchayat president K Shanthakumari's name also figures in the list.
Kollam district secretariat has recommended that minister J Mercykutty Amma who has completed two terms, should be granted exemption for contesting from Kundara. The Malappuram district secretariat has recommended that Minister K T Jaleel and Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan should be given chance to contest again from Thavanur and Ponnani respectively, considering their victory prospects.
P V Anwar who was in the news for all the wrong reasons is being considered again from Nilambur. Even though there was opposition to his name in the district secretariat, actor Mukesh's name was recommended for Kollam seat considering that he is only a single term MLA. The issue of fielding S Sarma from Vypeen was left to the state committee. Former MP M B Rajesh figures in the Thrithala list.
The announcement made by E P Jayarajan that he would not be contesting the coming assembly polls is seen by many as an attempt to bring the party under pressure.
He is not keen to leave the sitting seat Mattannur and contest from any other constituency. His decision to stay out is in the wake of the party planning to field K K Shailaja from Mattanur. It is learnt that if Jayarajan is allotted Mattanur he might change his decision.
Shailaja's Koothuparamba constituency has been allotted to LJD. She is not quite keen on contesting from Peravoor where she lost in 2011. Shailaja was considered for Mattanur after the party leadership directed that a safe seat should be earmarked for her in Kannur district. If E P Jayarajan agrees to contest, then the party might consider fielding him from Kalliasseri.
