Jo Joseph, LDF candidate for Thrikkakara bypoll, on his arrival to file his nomination on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Jo Joseph and Uma Thomas, candidates of the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front respectively in the Thrikkakara bypoll, submitted their nomination papers on Monday.
A.N. Radhakrishnan, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, is likely to file his nomination paper on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leaders said they had called for a conscience vote in the constituency as the party had not fielded any candidate.
The Twenty20, the non-political formation which bagged 13,897 votes in the last election, too has opted out of the contest. The vote share of the formation in the last election turned out to be significant as it could bring down the winning margin of the late P.T. Thomas to 14,329 votes. Its to be seen how the voters, who had exercised their franchise in favour of the formation last time, would vote on May 31.
Earlier, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the poll outcome would serve as a warning to the ruling front in the State. The result would come as an admonition of the arrogance and haughty attitude of the Chief Minister and the wrong policies pursued by the government. He hoped that the withdrawal of the Twenty20 from the contest would benefit the UDF candidate.
He was critical of the claims of the LDF government on the development front. The government would resume the laying of survey stones for the K-Rail project after the bypoll. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had always attempted to communalise the poll process. This time too it was trying the same trick, he alleged.
As the price of LPG cylinders crossed ₹1,000 in the State, the BJP, said Mr. Chennithala, had lost the locus standi to approach the voters.
While CPI(M) MLA P.V. Sreenijin alleged a possible unholy nexus between the UDF and the Twenty20, CPI(M) central committee member and Minister P. Rajeeve chose to sidestep the remark, maintaining that apolitical and neutral voters would now choose to vote for Dr Joseph.
