THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the CPM’s candidate selection process nears an end, district secretariat meetings have come up with recommendations to be handed to the state leadership, and it seems some heavyweights may not make the cut. A couple of ministers, however, may get another term.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will fight from Dharmadom, while Industries Minister EP Jayarajan will stay away from the fray. Rumours are rife that Jayarajan, who would focus on organisational matters, could become the next party state secretary.
Health Minister K K Shailaja will move to E P Jayarajan’s sitting seat in Mattannur while Koothuparamba will go to LJD leader and former minister K P Mohanan.
Kannur leadership has avoided all leaders who completed two consecutive terms.
C Krishnan, James Mathew and T V Rajesh do not figure in the list, while seniors P Jayarajan, M V Govindan and P K Sreemathi are being considered.
Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan is likely to get another chance from Ponnani while Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel will be fielded again in Thavanoor. Former India football team captain U Sharaf Ali is being considered for Eranad.
Filmmaker Ranjith is likely to replace sitting MLA A Pradeep Kumar in Kozhikode North. In Beypore, sitting MLA V K C Mammed Koya may not contest.
There is still uncertainty regarding the candidature of Karat Razak in Koduvally. Minister T P Ramakrishnan is likely to contest from Perambra.
In Ernakulam, three sitting MLAs including M Swaraj in Tripunithura are being considered for another term.
Instead of former minister S Sarma, K N Unnikrishnan has been proposed for the Vypeen seat.
CPM divided over fielding Jameela Balan
The state leadership will take a call on whether to field Sarma again. The party has decided to field CITU leader K Chandran Pillai in Kalamassery.
The CPM is planning to take over the Paravoor seat from CPI, in which case P Rajeev might be considered here. CPM Alappuzha and Idukki leaderships have proposed that ministers Thomas Isaac, G Sudhakaran and M M Mani be fielded again.
Notably, controversial MLA P V Anwar is set to get another chance in Nilambur. In Wayanad, Kalpetta MLA C K Saseendran may not be given another term as the seat could go to LJD this time.
Meanwhile, Palakkad leadership’s decision to recommend Jameela Balan, wife of Law Minister A K Balan, hasn’t gone down well with some party members.
There are indications that the state leadership is in favour of fielding her from Tarur. The district leadership has proposed A Prabhakaran for Malampuzha, P K Sasi for Shoranur, and M B Rajesh for Thrithala.
Pathanamthitta leadership wants to field senior leader and five-time MLA Raju Abraham again. Veena George might also get another chance from Aranmula.