With the announcement of candidates by Congress and the BJP, battle lines have been drawn in almost all Assembly constituencies in the district.
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Congress’s two sitting MLAs—Ramesh Chennithala and Shanimol Usman—will contest from Haripad and Aroor. Mr. Chennithala is up against LDF’s R. Sajilal (CPI). Former BJP district president K. Soman is the NDA candidate in Haripad. In Aroor, Ms. Usman is pitted against Daleema Jojo of the CPI(M) and T. Aniyappan of the BDJS, an NDA constituent. K.S. Manoj is the Congress candidate from Alappuzha. The CPI(M) has fielded P.P. Chitharanjan, and the BJP’s candidate is Sandeep Vachaspati.
DCC president M. Liju will contest from Ambalappuzha. He will face H. Salam CPI(M) and Anoop Antony Joseph (BJP). In Chengannur, Saji Cherian of the CPI(M) clashes with Congress veteran M. Murali and BJP district president M.V. Gopakumar. Kayamkulam constituency will see a fight between CPI (M)’s sitting MLA U. Prathibha and Aritha Babu (Congress). Pradeep Lal (BDJS) is the NDA candidate. P. Prasad (CPI) and S. Sarath (Congress) will fight in Cherthala, where BDJS has P.S. Jyothis, former CPI(M) member. CPI(M)’s M.S. Arun Kumar will face K.K. Shaju (Congress) in Mavelikara. K. Sanju, a former CPI(M) man, is the BJP candidate. Thomas K. Thomas (NCP) is the LDF candidate in Kuttanad, and Jacob Abraham (KC-Joseph) is UDF’s. The NDA is yet to declare its candidate.