With the declaration of lists of candidates by both the United Democratic Front and National Democratic Alliance, battle lines have been drawn in the Assembly segments across the Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts that will go to polls on April 6.
The Left Democratic Front had declared its candidates to the Assembly segments in the two districts by last week itself.
The Congress, which released its candidates’ on Sunday, has introduced two new faces in the district—former DCC president Tomy Kallani in Poonjar and former Kottayam municipal chairperson P.R. Sona in Vaikom. At the same time, senior leaders Oommen Chandy and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will seek re-election from their sitting seats—Puthuppally and Kottayam respectively,
KPCC vice president Joseph Vazhakkan will contest from Kanjirappally after a gap of one-and-a-half decade.
Of the remaining four seats in the district, the Kerala Congress joseph group will contest in three —Changanassery, Ettumanur and Kaduthuruthi—while the Nationalist Congress Kerala leader Mani C. Kappan will contest from Pala.
In the NDA, BJP will be contesting from six while the BDJS will field candidates in three seats.
While the BJP is fielding G. Linjinlal in Kaduthuruthi, party’s former district president N. Hari will contest in Puthuppally.
Former Congress leaders G. Raman Nair and J. Prameela Devi have got tickets in Changanassery and Pala respectively where as Minerva Mohan, a former CPI(M) worker, has been fielded from Kottayam.
Former Union Minister Alphonse Kannanthanam, who defeated Joseph Vazhakkan in Kanjirappally as an LDF candidate in 2006, is once again contesting against the latter in the same constituency.
In the remaining three seats, BDJS candidates M.R. Ullas (Poonjar), Bharath Parengadan (Ettumanur) and Ajitha Sabu (Vaikom) will contest.
Candidate line-up
Puthuppally: Oommen Chandy [UDF (Congress)], Jaick C. Thomas [LDF (CPM)], N. Hari: [NDA (BJP)]; Kottayam: Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan [UDF (Congress)], Anil Kumar [LDF (CPM)], Minerva Mohan [NDA (BJP)];
Ettumanur: Princi Luckose [UDF (KC Joseph)], V.N. Vasavan [LDF (CPM)], Bharath Parengadan [NDA (BDJS)]; Kaduthuruthi: Mons Joseph [UDF (Congress)], Stephen George [LDF (KC-M)], Lijinlal G. [NDA (BJP)]; Vaikom: P.R. Sona [UDF (Congress)], C.K. Asha [LDF (CPI)], Ajitha Sabu [NDA (BDJS)];
Pala: Mani C. Kappen [UDF (NCP-K)], Jose K. Mani [LDF (KC-M)], J. Prameela Devi [NDA (BJP)]; Poonjar: Tomy Kallani [UDF (Congress)], Sebastian Kulathungal [LDF (KC-M)], M.R. Ullas [NDA (BDJS)];
Kanjirappally: Joseph Vazhakkan [UDF (Congress)], N. Jayaraj [LDF (KC-M)], Alphonse Kannanthanam [NDA (BJP)]; Changanassery: V.J. Lali [UDF (KC-Joseph)], Job Michael: LDF (KC-M)], G. Raman Nair [NDA (BJP)]
Pathanamthitta
The Congress has fielded Robin Peter in Konni, Youth Congress leader M.G. Kannan in Adoor, Rinku Cheriyan in Ranni, and K. Sivadasan Nair in Aranmula. In Thiruvalla, Joseph group leader Kunjukoshy Paul will fight for UDF. In protest to the denial of ticket, P. Mohanraj, former DCC president resigned. The BJP has fielded its State president K. Surendran in Konni while Pandalam Sudhakaran, who left the Congress, will contest in Adoor. It has also fielded Biju Mathew in Aranmula and the district president Ashokan Kulanada in Thiruvalla. The BDJS has fielded K. Padmakumar in Ranni.
List of candidates
Konni: Robin Peter [UDF(Cong.)], K.U. Janeesh Kumar [LDF-CPI(M)], K. Surendran [NDA (BJP)]; Adoor: M.G. Kannan [UDF(Cong.], Chittayam Gopakumar [LDF-CPI], Pandalam Sudhakaran [NDA (BJP)]; Aranmula: K. Sivadasan Nair [UDF(Cong.)], Veena George [LDF(CPI-M)], Biju Mathew [NDA (BJP)]; Ranni: Rinku Cheriyan [UDF(Cong.)], Pramod Narayanan [LDF(KC-M)], K. Padmakumar [NDA (BDJS)]‘ Thiruvalla: Kunjukoshy Paul [UDF(KC Joseph)], Mathew T. Thomas [LDF(JD(S)], Ashokan Kulanada [NDA (BJP)].
