The State Communist Party of India (Marxist) has fielded 10 women for the Assembly elections on April 13. The number is far less than the one-third representation for women in elected bodies that the party has been campaigning for.
The women candidates include four women MLAs in the present Kerala Assembly — K.K.. Shylaja, who has been fielded in Peravur; K. K. Lathika in Kuttiadi; K.S. Saleekha in Shoranur; and Aysha Potty in Kottarakkara. Prominent among the other candidates are party State secretariat member M.C. Josephine, who will contest from Kochi, and the former Member of Parliament C. S. Sujatha, who is in the fray in Chengannur.
The remaining women candidates are Suja Susan George, who would be in the fray in Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy's home constituency, Puthuppally, Kadeeja Sathar in Mankada, K.R. Vijaya in Irinjalakkuda and Sheela Ramani in Kattakkada.
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The party has dropped 16 MLAs, including Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy and Public Works and Law Minister M. Vijayakumar. Ms. Sreemathy is the lone woman Minister in the outgoing Achuthanandan Cabinet.
The following are the CPI(M) candidates and their constituencies: C.H. Kunhambu (Manjeswaram), K. Kunhiraman (Udma), K. Kunhiraman (Thrikkarippur), C. Krishnan (Payyannur), James Mathew (Thaliparamba), T.V. Rajesh (Kalliasseri), M. Prakasan Master (Azhikode), K.K. Narayanan (Dharmadom), E.P. Jayarajan (Mattannur), K.K. Shylaja (Peravur), Kodiyeri Balakrishnan (Thalassery), K.K. Lathika (Kuttiadi), K. Kunhammed Master (Perambra), Purushan Kadalundi (Balussery), K. Dasan (Koyilandy), A. Pradeep Kumar (Kozhikode North), C.P. Musafar Ahamed (Kozhikode South), Elamaram Karim (Beypore), George M. Thomas (Thiruvambady) and M. Mehboob (Koduvally).
K. C. Kunhiraman (Mananthavady), E. A. Sankaran (Sulthan Bathery), P. A. Muhammed (Kalpetta), V. Ramesan (Wandoor), P. C. Noushad (Kondotty), V. Sasikumar (Perinthalmanna), Kadeeja Sathar (Mankada), E. Jayan (Tanur), P.P. Abdullakkutty (Tirur), P. Sreeramakrishnan (Ponnani), P. Mammikkutty (Thrithala), A. K. Balan (Tarur), M. Chandran (Alathur), V. Chenthamarakshan (Nenmara), K. S. Saleekha (Shoranur), M. Hamsa (Ottappalam), K.V. Vijayadas (Kongad), K.K. Divakaran (Palakkad), V.S. Achuthanandan (Malampuzha), Babu M. Palissery (Kunnamkulam), K. Radhakrishnan (Chelakkara), Baby John (Manalur), K.V. Abdul Khader (Guruvayur), C. Ravindranath (Puthukkad), K.R. Vijaya (Irinjalakkuda), B.D. Devassy (Chalakkudy) and N.R. Balan (Vadakkancherry).
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A.M. Yousuf (Aluva), Saju Paul (Perumbavoor), M. A. Surendran (Kunnathunad), S. Sarma (Vypeen), K. Chandran Pillai (Kalamassery), M.C. Josephine (Kochi), M.E. Hassainar (Thrikkakkara), C.M. Dinesh Mani (Thripunithura), M.J. Jacob (Piravom), C.V. Varghese (Idukki), S. Rajendran (Devikulam), K.K. Jayachandran (Udumbanchola), K. Suresh Kurup (Ettumanur), V.N. Vasavan (Kottayam), Suja Susan George (Puthuppally), B. Ekbal (Changanassery), A.M. Arif (Aroor), T.M. Thomas Isaac (Alappuzha), G. Sudhakaran (Ambalapuzha), C.K. Sadasivan (Kayamkulam), C.S. Sujatha (Chengannur), R. Rajesh (Mavelikara), Raju Abraham (Ranni), K.C. Rajagopal (Aranmula), M.S. Rajendran (Konni), Aysha Potty (Kottarakkara), K. Rajagopal (Pathanapuram), M.A. Baby (Kundara), P.K. Gurudasan (Kollam), A..A.. Rahim (Varkala), B. Sathyan (Attingal), Koliyakkode N. Krishnan Nair (Vamanapuram), Sheela Ramani (Kattakkada), C. Ajayakumar (Kazhakuttom), V. Sivan Kutty (Nemom), R. Selvaraj (Neyyattinkara) and Anavoor Nagappan (Parassala).
The party has also announced seven independent candidates: They are: P. T. A. Rahim (Kunnamangalam), Sankaranarayanan (Vallikkunnu), Thomas Mathew (Nilambur), K. T. Jaleel (Tavanur), Sebastian Paul (Ernakulam), Joseph Sebastian (Thodupuzha) and Cherian Philip (Vattiyoorkkavu).
The party leadership has deferred announcement of candidates for Chittur and Poonjar. The party had originally decided to field sitting MLA Alphonse Kannanthanam in Poonjar, but he has subsequently opted out of the fray.