The candidate selection process of the CPI(M) and the Congress appeared to have hit rough weather again on Saturday. The CPI(M) faced a massive social media campaign against the "denial" of ticket to Kannur veteran P. Jayarajan.
Mr. Jayarajan quickly distanced himself from the social media collective titled "PJ Army". He said such propaganda would work to the advantage of CPI(M) detractors.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has cracked the whip on party indiscipline in Kannur. It temporarily removed one Dheeraj Kumar from party membership for commenting about the party's candidate selection process.
In Alappuzha, posters appeared demanding Ambalappuzha seat for Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran. He is among the five Cabinet ministers taken off the party ticket on the ground they had contested the elections on two consecutive occasions.
CPI(M) district secretary R. Nazar said the party had nothing to do with the posters. The LDF also faced a dissent measure in Ranni against the reported move to cede the sitting seat to KC(M).
In Ponnani, similar posters appeared demanding a party ticket for Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan. A party insider said the bills seemed to be the handiwork of those seeking to sow confusion in the CPI(M) ranks.
The Congress also faced its set of candidate selection related troubles. Scores of party workers expressed solidarity with former DCC president of Palakkad A.V. Gopinath, who had raised a rebellion in the locality to protest his sidelining by the Congress leadership. KPCC working president K. Sudhakaran rushed to Palakkad to negotiate with Mr. Gopinath.
The CPI(M) had floated the idea of fielding Mr. Gopinath as an LDF Independent from Pattambi against Youth Congress president and incumbent legislator Shafi Parambil.
Youth Congress workers protested the move to cede the Ettumanoor seat to the P.J. Joseph faction of the Kerala Congress (M). KPCC was yet to settle the discord over the move to hand over the Chadayamangalam constituency to the IUML.
Meanwhile, the Congress announced that it would contest in 92 seats. Screening committee member H.K. Patil said the party would accord 60% of the seats to youth.
