2024: CPM zeroes in on Mustafa for Kasaragod

The name of senior bureaucrat Biju Prabhakar has been doing the rounds as a probable UDF candidate for Alappuzha.
V P P Mustafa
V P P Mustafa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is a good one year left for the Lok Sabha polls. Yet, both the major fronts in the state have switched to election mode and have started the process of identifying the appropriate candidates for each constituency. The CPM has reportedly zeroed in on its district secretariat member V P P Mustafa for the Kasaragod seat.

Mustafa, who is currently private secretary to LSGD Minister M B Rajesh, is expected to resign from the post soon, and focus on his home district to start the preparatory fieldwork. The CPM Kasaragod district committee is learnt to have apprised the state leadership of Mustafa's prospect of wresting back the party citadel which it lost in 2019.

Discussions on seat-sharing are yet to begin in both the LDF and UDF. But major parties are moving ahead with candidate selection on the assumption that they would get the seats that they had contested last time.

The name of senior bureaucrat Biju Prabhakar has been doing the rounds as a probable UDF candidate for Alappuzha. Son of late Congress leader Thachady Prabhakaran, Biju is currently the KSRTC CMD and is set to retire in 2025.

Venugopal Cong’s 1st choice for Alappuzha

Biju Prabhakar rejected the idea outright. “I’ve made it clear time and again that I’m not interested in politics. I am neither candidate material nor am I interested in joining politics,” he told TNIE.

Meanwhile, sources in Congress said the first preference for the Alappuzha seat will be K C Venugopal, and any other name will be considered only if the AICC general secretary is not interested. However, the UDF has no confusion regarding Kollam. The candidature of RSP’s sitting MP N K Premachandran is more or less confirmed. On the other hand, the LDF has a couple of names. Sources said Chavara legislator Sujith Vijayan Pillai could be considered as a CPM independent.

Speculation is rife that the CPM may consider fielding former ministers — Thomas Isaac (Chalakkudy) and K K Shailaja (Kannur or Vadakara)  — in an attempt to win back more seats.

 The BJP leadership too has begun the process of identifying candidates. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi could be fielded from Thrissur once again, while the name of Krishnakumar C has been doing the rounds for the Palakkad seat.

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