The Communist Party of India (CPI) has announced its list of candidates in Kerala for the Lok Sabha elections.
The party has decided to field Bennet P. Abraham in Thiruvananthapuram, Chengara Surendran in Mavelikara, C.N. Jayadevan in Thrissur, and Sathyan Mokeri in Wayanad.
Mr. Abraham, a former member of the Public Service Commission (PSC), is a prominent member of the Church of South India (CSI), which has a sizeable population in the constituency.
Mr. Surendran is a former member of the Lok Sabha, having represented the constituency earlier.
Mr. Jayadevan is the CPI Thrissur district secretary and Mr. Mokeri is leader of the CPI-led All India Kisan Sabha. According to party sources, the party arrived at the decision to field Mr. Abraham in Thiruvananthapuram disregarding strong objections from several of the CPI State executive and State council members.
Party general secretary Sudhakar Reddy announced the names of the CPI candidates after a prolonged meeting of the CPI State council here on Tuesday.
Party symbol Mr. Reddy said Mr. Abraham, with no known links with the CPI, would also contest on the party symbol.
Replying to questions, Mr. Reddy described as ‘an unfortunate development’ the RSP’s exit from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and hoped that ‘even at this late hour, they would reconsider and return to the LDF’.
He could not say what kind of discussions had taken place between the CPI(M) and the RSP. He would appeal to the RSP leadership, particularly its general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan, to reconsider the decision.
