M. Mukesh and M. Naushad, legislators representing the Kollam and Eravipuram Assembly constituencies, will enter the electoral fray for the second time as per the primary list prepared by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretariat.
In all probability, State secretariat member and former Rajya Sabha MP K.N. Balagopal will contest from Kottarakara.
P. Aisha Potty, the sitting MLA, has completed three consecutive terms. The district leadership has also decided to field Sujith Vijayan, son of the late MLA Vijayan Pillai, in Chavara.
In Kundara
The CPI(M) has a total of five seats in the district and Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma is likely to contest from Kundara if the party approves the recommendation of the district secretariat and decides to relax the guidelines for her. One of the two women Ministers in the State Cabinet, her name was recommended considering her chances for winning.
According to party guidelines, leaders who have contested and won Assembly elections twice are not expected to contest again and there is also pressure to include more new faces on the candidates’ list.
The State secretariat will take the final call on the candidates by March first week and if Ms. Mercykutty Amma’s candidature is rejected, Chintha Jerome and S.L. Sajikumar are the other names doing rounds.
The Left coalition had won all Assembly seats in the district in 2016 and the leadership is keen on preparing a solid candidate list to retain the fortress.
Ganesh in Pathanapuram
While K.B. Ganesh Kumar of the Kerala Congress (B) will be contesting from Pathanapuram once again, the LDF will support Kovoor Kunjumon, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (Leninist) leader who has won four consecutive terms from Kunnathur.
Though the Kerala Congress (B) sought a second seat in Kottarakara, the Left Democratic Front could not accommodate it.
Since the Communist Party of India (CPI) has also decided not to field leaders who have contested more than three times, Forest Minister K. Raju may not contest from Punalur and chances are very grim for Chadayamangalam MLA Mullakkara Ratnakaran as well to be in the fray again.
