With the Election Commission of India announcing the dates for the Lok Sabha election, Alappuzha district is slowing slipping into poll mode.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has already announced its candidates in Alappuzha and Mavelikara Lok Sabha seats ahead of others.
It has fielded two sitting MLAs, A.M. Ariff of CPI(M) and Chittayam Gopakumar of CPI from Alappuzha and Mavelikara seats respectively.
The LDF will begin its election conventions in the district on Monday. The election convention of Mr. Ariff, who is currently representing Aroor Assembly constituency in the State Assembly, will be inaugurated by former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan at Town Hall here at 4 p.m. on Monday. Kerala Congress (B) chairman R. Balakrishna Pillai will inaugurate the Mavelikara Lok Sabha seat convention at Chengannur on Tuesday. Mr. Gopakumar is a MLA representing Adoor Assembly constituency. Both, the United Democratic Front (UDF) and National Democratic Front (NDA) are likely to announce their candidates in the coming days.
However, the announcement made by K.C. Venugopal, MP, on Sunday that he would not be seeking re-election from Alappuzha due to responsibilities given to him by the party’s central leadership, has put the Congress party in a spot.
Mr. Venugopal is the Congress general secretary in charge of organisation. Up until the announcement, Venugopal’s was the only name being considered by the party for the Alappuzha seat. With the LDF already entered electioneering, the Congress will have to find a suitable candidate to retain the seat.
“We have only given names of K.C. Venugopal and Kodikunnil Suresh for Alappuzha and Mavelikara seats respectively. This is a do or die battle for the party in which each seat counts. We will have to take various things into account before finalising a candidate in the next couple of days,” said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity. District Congress Committee president M. Liju said that a decision on candidate for Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency would be taken by the Congress high command.
Almost finalised
Meanwhile, the Congress party has almost finalised the candidature of incumbent Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, for the Mavelikara seat. Mr. Suresh had won from Mavelikara (Reserved) constituency in 2009 and 2014 elections.
The BJP State core committee meeting to be held on Monday is likely to finalise its candidates.
