THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the assembly byelections just a couple of months away, the two political fronts are busy finalising candidates. While the UDF has turned to senior RSP leader and former minister Shibu Baby John in Chavara, the LDF has decided to field Thomas K Thomas, brother of the late NCP MLA Thomas Chandy in Kuttanad. While finding a candidate in Chavara was a cakewalk for the UDF, things are a bit difficult in Kuttanad, where the Congress is mulling over taking the seat back from the KC(M) due to the in-fighting.
The NCP, at the same time, has welcomed Jose K Mani’s possible entry to the Left front, but clarified that the party will neither spare Pala nor Kuttanad constituencies. The Left front has been considering fielding Sujith Vijayan, an ENT specialist and son of the late MLA N Vijayan Pillai, in Chavara. A couple of other names are also being considered.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the upcoming byelections would be a referendum on the Left government. Responding to questions at his evening briefing on Saturday, Pinarayi said if polls are held in November, the new MLAs will get to work in their respective constituencies for around four months. The Left front was not very keen on conducting the bypolls while its tenure is nearing its end. However, the CM made it clear that the government will make all necessary arrangements once the Election Commission of India (ECI) comes out with a final decision.
“It’s for the ECI to take a decision on bypolls. If elections are held in November, the newly elected legislators will get four-month terms, from December to March. By then the election notification is likely to be issued. The state government will take a stance as per the final decision taken by the ECI,” he said.
Pinarayi said the Left front will take further decisions on the entry of Kerala Congress(M) Jose faction to the LDF based on the latter’s political stance.
“The Jose K Mani faction now has the party and the official symbol. P J Joseph has also made his stance clear about taking it forward through a legal fight. The ECI, which is the final authority in such matters, has given the symbol to the Jose faction. So, Jose-led KC(M) has obviously become stronger,” the CM said. He also pointed out that the UDF leadership had ousted the Jose faction. “In the Rajya Sabha poll, they took a stance and decided not to vote for the UDF, hence weakening the anti-Left forces. It’s a welcome move. Once they make their political stance clear, the Left front will take further decisions accordingly,” he said.
The CPM has already made it clear that it wants Jose to be inducted into the Left front. The initial opposition by the CPI has also come down. The other day, Pinarayi along with CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan held a meeting with CPI state chief Kanam Rajendran, in an effort to convince him on the matter. The CPI, too, has climbed down from its strong opposition towards Jose, especially in the wake of the new developments.