THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to tackle anti-incumbent sentiments, the CPM has included a set of youngsters and newcomers in its list of candidates for the assembly polls. The party state committee which met on Friday has come up with a list of 84 candidates, notably deciding to keep away a number of seniors including Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and Works Minister G Sudhakaran. The party has also allotted 13 seats — including Poonjar, Ranni and Kuttiyadi — to Jose K Mani’s Kerala Congress (M). The state secretariat will meet again on Monday and Tuesday to finalise the list.
Despite vociferous demands to give Isaac another chance considering his public appeal, the CPM resolved to enforce the two-term norm strictly. As expected, ministers E P Jayarajan, A K Balan and C Raveendranath, in addition to senior leader P Jayarajan, will not be in the fray.
P Nandakumar will contest from Ponnani, the sitting seat of Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan.While the CPM had fielded 12 women in the last assembly elections, only 10 women have found a place in the list this time. In the previous polls, the party had contested from a total of 92 seats, including four independents.
As many as 23 sitting MLAs who had two consecutive terms and two -- K U Arunan of Irinjalakuda and P K Sasi of Shoranur -- who completed one term have been omitted.
As of now, six secretariat members including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, M V Govindan, T P Ramakrishnan, M M Mani, K N Balagopal and P Rajeev will contest. Former speaker K Radhakrishnan is also being considered. No final decision has been taken on P Unni of Ottapalam yet.Notably, spouses of senior leaders A Vijayaraghavan and A K Balan have figured in the list.
Vijayaraghavan’s wife R Bindu is a former Thrissur Mayor and a central committee member of Janadhipathya Mahila Association. She will contest from Irinjalakuda. A K Balan’s wife P K Jameela, who will contest from Tarur, is a former director of Health Services. No decision was taken on Devikulam, Palakkad and Manjeshwar seats. The candidate for the Guruvayur seat will be decided on Saturday.