Thiruvananthapuram: Even though the Lok Sabha elections are fast approaching, the CPM is yet to decide the party’s candidates for seven constituencies - Ernakulam, Chalakudy, Palakkad, Alathur, Malappuram, Ponnani and Vadakara.
Ernakulam
Among these seats, total uncertainty prevails in Ernakulam, where even a preliminary suggestion has not been made by the district committee. While the names of Kochi Mayor M Anil Kumar, district panchayat member Yesudas Parappilli and youth leader K S Arun Kumar are being considered, no consensus has been reached. Meanwhile, the CPM Ernakulam district secretariat will meet on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Chalakudy
In Chalakudy, the Thrissur district committee suggested former minister C Raveendranath as the CPM candidate. However, Raveendran declined the offer. The opinion of the Ernakulam district committee also has to be considered for the Chalakudy as four Assembly constituencies which are part of the Lok Sabha seat are located in Ernakulam district.
Palakkad
The CPM state committee will decide on the candidate for Palakkad, with the district leadership suggesting the names of the party’s politburo member A Vijayaraghavan and state secretariat member M Swaraj.
Alathur
Minister K Radhakrishnan is the unanimous choice of Thrissur and Palakkad district committees for the Alathur seat, which spans the two districts. While Radhakrishnan earlier expressed his reluctance to fight the Parliament elections, the strong support from both the district units is expected to change his mind.
Malappuram
In Malappuram, the district committee discussed the name of V P Sanu, who had contested the 2019 general elections from the seat. However, the committee has not taken a final decision so far.
Ponnani
Similarly, the Malappuram district committee considered DYFI state president V Waseef for the Ponnani seat. But, here also, the deliberations are only in the preliminary stages.
Vadakara
A high-profile contest is expected in Vadakara, where the Kozhikode district unit of the party has recommended former Health Minister K K Shylaja and senior leader A Pradeep Kumar. A meeting of the state committee scheduled on Wednesday will finalize the candidate here.
