Hello
The final agreement on seat-sharing with the Muslim League will happen only on Wednesday. The League which had contested 24 seats in the last poll has demanded three more this time.
With CPM's Pradeepkumar slated to not contest this election, it is likely that Ranjith will be fielded in the Kozhikode North constituency if the party gives him the ticket.
Even before the BJP was born, Chenkottukonam Swami had used his drawing power in Nemom to collect crowds for right-wing Hindu candidates during Assembly polls.
The CPM district leadership has taken a decision to field central committee member and health minister KK Shailaja from Jayarajan's constituency Mattanur.
Sreedharan's declaration that he was BJP's chief minister candidate was swift and direct, so stripped of any devious calculation that we have come to expect from seasoned politicians that the party remains unable to formulate a worthy response.
On his visit to Kerala last week, Rahul had won the hearts of the fishers cutting across political affiliations with unique gestures like venturing out into the sea in a fishing boat and even swimming along with them. It had left a lasting impression.
Party leaders are exercising caution over the selection of candidates and are even trying to enrol maximum voters in these constituencies.
With the names of ministers to block panchayat presidents doing the rounds, sources from the party hint that Health Minister K K Shailaja could be the surprise choice for the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram seat.
In Kottayam district the Congress party is likely to contest on five seats, while leaving three to Kerala Congress (Joseph).
Interestingly, in Kerala the Congress is the Left's biggest opponent while the two parties are partners in West Bengal.