Both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have finalised the list of candidates for the upcoming elections to the Thrikkakara municipality and have intensified their campaigns.
‘Youth and experience’
Veteran CPI(M) leader M.E. Hassainar, former chairman of the Thrikkakara municipality, said the Left front had given weightage to both youth and experience.
The UDF candidates were finalised on Tuesday after much argument over the candidature, especially in the wake of the outgoing council’s experience.
Two rebels, one each from the UDF and the LDF, had held the balance of power during the term as the municipality saw four chairpersons over a period of five years.
Mr. Hassainar said 24 candidates would contest on the official CPI(M) symbol while there were 11 candidates who would be supported by the party.
There will be six candidates contesting on the CPI ticket. One candidate each will contest from the Congress(S) and Janta Dal, making up the array of 43 contestants.
He said he did not want to name any contestant as the leader of the council but that the parties had given equal weightage to all the contestants. While some were young, there were other with vast experience, he added.
Prominent UDF leaders in the fray include former chairperson Shaji Vazhakkala, former block panchayat president Radhamani Pillai, Congress block president Noushad Pallechi and DCCI secretaries Xavier Thayenkari and P.I. Mohammed Ali.
