As many as 13 candidates remained in the fray in Kozhikode constituency and 11 in Vadakara when the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for the Lok Sabha elections on April 10 ended at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran contesting under UDF banner is among the candidates in Vadakara constituency,
On Wednesday, the last day for withdrawal of candidates, four nominations were withdrawn in Kozhikode and three in Vadakara.
Vadakara Haris, Sreedharan and Ramadas pulled out of the fray while in Kozhikode constituency E. M. Raghavan, Shamseer, Ramakrishnan and K. P. Aboobacker withdrew their papers.
A major cause of worry for campaign managers of the main candidates in Kozhikode seat — M. K. Raghavan, the Congress candidate of UDF and A Vijayaraghavan, the CPI(M) candidate fielded by LDF, —is that there are namesakes of both these candidates in the electoral race. To what extent their presence would confuse voters and impact on electoral outcome remains to be seen.
In Vadakara, while the CPI(M) candidate is N. Shamseer, an Independent by name P. Shamseer is also in the race.
Vadakara has a woman candidate, A. M. Smitha, fielded by CPI(ML) while the election scene in Kozhikode constituency is totally dominated by men
The candidates for Kozhikode seat with the election symbol allotted to them are: C. K. Padmanabhan (BJP-lotus), M. K. Raghavan (Congress –hand), A. Vijayaraghavan (CPI(M)- hammer-sickle-star), K. P. Velayudhan (BSP-elephant), Mustapha Komeri (SDPI- ceiling fan), K. P. Ratheesh (Aam Admi Party –broom), Thrissur Nazir (Independent –coconut), N.P. Pratapkumar (Independent –glass tumbler), Mohammed Riaz (Independent-cap), M. Raghavan (Independent-shuttle), V.M. Raghavan (Independent- autorickshaw), M Vijayaraghavan (Independent – Table lamp), Vijayaraghavan K.( Independent- kite)
In Vadakara the candidates in the fray are Mullappally Ramachandran (Congress ), Saseendran (BSP-elephant), A. N. Shamseer {(CPI(M)}, V. K. Sajeevan (BJP), P Abdul hameed (SDPI- ceiling fan), Ali Akbar (Aam Admi Party –broom), A.M. Smitha (CPI-ML) saw, Attuvappil Kunhikannan (Independent –autorickshaw), P. Kumarankutty –(MRP-glass tumbler).P Shamseer (Independent – whistle), P Sharafuddin (Independent –television).
