Kerala Assembly Polls: CPM Idukki unit recommends MM Mani again in Udumbanchola

The Idukki district secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has recommended senior leader MM Mani as its candidate once again from the Udumbanchola Assembly constituency. No other name has been referred to the state committee for the Udumbanchola constituency, underlining the district unit's strong backing for Mani's candidature.

Party leaders assessed that the CPM's prospects in Udumbanchola could be adversely affected if Mani does not contest. However, should 81-year-old Mani get another chance, it would go against the CPM's policy of not fielding candidates who have crossed 75. CPM state secretary M V Govindan recently said the party would also adhere to the age limit of 75 for its state committee members.

Mani won from Udumbanchola in the 2016 and 2021 Assembly polls. The district secretariat recommended his name for a third time after internal deliberations, during which KK Jayachandran's candidature was also considered.

Jayachandran could emerge as an alternative if the state leadership opts for a change. District secretariat member Shailaja Surendran's name had figured in preliminary discussions, but the final recommendation was confined to Mani.

In the 2021 Assembly election, Mani won by a margin of 38,305 votes, defeating UDF candidate EM Augusthy. CPM's Idukki leadership believes that the development initiatives undertaken during his tenure as Minister, coupled with his personal rapport with voters, continue to work in his favour.

The CPM suffered setbacks in the recent local body elections, including in Udumbanchola. The district leadership believes that fielding Mani would help the party regain lost ground. His support base among the influential Ezhava community in the constituency is also seen as a key advantage.

Meanwhile, in the Devikulam constituency, the leadership has proposed a second term for sitting MLA A Raja. The district leadership favoured retaining Raja, particularly in the backdrop of former MLA S Rajendran shifting to the BJP, a development seen as potentially splitting plantation sector votes. The district secretariat believes Raja’s performance over the past five years will strengthen his prospects.