The CPM state secretariat on Wednesday cleared the names of five candidates who would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
They include the party’s Alappuzha District secretary C B Chandrababu, Kozhikode district committee member A N Shamzeer, state committee member T K Hamza and central committee members A Vijayaraghavan and P K Sreemathy. A Secretariat meeting on Tuesday had cleared the name of politburo member M A Baby as the party candidate from Kollam Lok Sabha constituency.
The names of former MLA M M Monayi and actor Innocent are on the list of probable candidates being considered for Chalakkudi.
According to sources in the CPM, A Vijayaraghavan is likely to be fielded from the Kozhikode LS constituency, A N Shamzeer will contest from Vatakara, while P K Sreemathy will face the hustings from Kannur.
C B Chandrababu is the party’s likely candidate from Alappuzha constituency. CPM veteran T K Hamza will seek mandate from the Malappuram constituency. However, all these names have to be cleared in the state committee meeting to be held on Thursday.
The party has not vetted the list of probable candidates for Ernakulam, Chalakkudy and Pathanamthitta constituencies, where independent candidates backed by the party are likely to be fielded. The name of P K Harikumar, former chairman of Vaikom Municipality, is on the list of probable candidates being considered for Kottayam.
The JD(S) and RSP - minor partners in the LDF coalition, backed by the CPI, have decided to mount pressure on CPM to claim one seat for each of them.
In the wake of the imbroglio over the implementation of the Kasthurirangan panel report and the politically volatile situation prevailing in hilly regions, the CPM is welcoming the candidature of Francis George in Idukki.