While the CPI(M) itself will contest from 15 seats, the CPI will fight from four seats and the Kerala Congress(M) from one.

The list of CPI(M) candidates includes a sitting MP and four sitting MLAs including a Minister. The list features a Politburo member, four central committee members and three district secretaries. The Minister in the CPI(M) list is SC/ST Development Minister K. Radhakrishnan; the sitting MP is A M Ariff. Five former ministers – Thomas Isaac, KK Shailaja, Elamaram Kareem, C. Raveendranath and VS Sunil Kumar are in the fray this time around. The sitting MLAs are V. Joy, M. Mukesh and KK Shailaja. A distinctive feature of the list is that all the candidates will be contesting on the party symbol.

CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan, who announced the list, said the party has fielded candidates who have the stomach to fight the communal forces led by the BJP. Govindan voiced optimism that the Left will make a clean sweep of all the 20 seats from Kerala. The most important factor that went into the selection of candidates was the paramount need to oust the BJP from power. An alternative that espouses secular values against the Hindutva agenda of the corporate-friendly RSS-BJP combine is the need of the hour, he added.

While Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state president V. Vaseef is the CPI(M) candidate from Malappuram, a former Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) member K S Hamsa will contest from Ponnani. The candidate for Ernakulam is a new face – North Paravoor councillor K J Shine.

In a distinct deviation from the usual practice, the CPI(M) has gone for battle-scarred veterans and popular faces, unlike Congress candidates who are scared stiff to battle the BJP. It is an open secret that as many as seven sitting Congress MPs do not contest for the Lok Sabha! The only key factor that influenced the selection of LDF candidates is winnability. That explains the choice of minister Radhakrishnan for Alathur, a traditional CPI(M) stronghold which the party lost to the Congress in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sitting MLAs M Mukesh (Kollam), KK Shailaja (Vadakara) and V. Joy (Attingal)are also political heavyweights.

Also, for the first time, the party is putting up three district secretaries: M V Balakrishnan (Kasaragod), M V Jayarajan (Kannur) and V. Joy (Thiruvananthapuram). Now that the three district party chiefs are in the electoral fray, three districts will have temporary secretaries.

Like the CPI(M), the CPI has also fielded stalwarts who have rich experience in the rough and tumble of politics. There were no surprises as the party announced its candidates for the four seats it is contesting. While former state secretary Pannian Raveendran will contest from Thiruvananthapuram, national executive member and CPI’s women movement face Annie Raja will try her luck from Wayanad. In Thrissur, the CPI has fielded VS Sunil Kumar who is highly popular in the constituency. All Indian Youth Federation leader CA Arun Kumar is the party candidate from Mavelikkara.

While releasing the CPI list, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the political situation in Kerala is visibly in favour of the Left Democratic Front(LDF). He exuded confidence that the Left will win all the 20 seats this time. Pannian Raveendran was a reluctant candidate initially. But the CPI veteran, who represented Thiruvananthapuram from 2005 to 2009 and was CPI state secretary from 2012 to 2015 ultimately bowed to party pressure. Three-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will, in all probability, be his main rival.

Likewise, the CPI has opted for general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women(NFIW) and wife of CPI general secretary D. Raja, Annie Raja to contest from Wayanad, most probably against Rahul Gandhi unless the Congress decides otherwise. The candidature of V S Sunil Kumar for Thrissur has electrified the CPI’s rank and file as he is extremely popular in the constituency. Sunil, was an excellent Agriculture Minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan Government from 2016 to 2021. He may face stiff fight from BJP candidate and Malayalam superstar Suresh Gopi and Congress’s sitting MP T N Prathapan.

The CPI has also taken the right decision to field C AArun Kumar from Mavelikkara to wrest the constituency from sitting Congress MP Kodikkunnil Suresh. The CPI hopes to consolidate the votes of youth against the Congress strongman this time.

The big question now is whether Congress will field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad for a second time. If the party does that, it will be a direct fight between two constituents of the INDIA bloc. That will be bad optics. Such a contest will also send a negative message to the voters. There is a growing feeling that Rahul should not contest from Wayanad. Such a gesture will go a long way in strengthening the INDIA bloc. The growing opinion is that Rahul should contest against BJP this time. It may be mentioned that the Telangana chief Minister Revantha Reddy has offered to field Rahul from a strong Congress constituency from the State.

The message from the CPI(M) and the CPI is loud and clear. By fielding stalwarts and political heavyweights, the LDF has signalled its intent to win maximum seats this time. Last time the only party candidate who won was from Alappuzha constituency. The Front is determined to put up a better fight. And it will be helped by the growing public perception that the LDF is the only front which has the courage and stomach to battle the BJP.

The campaign theme of the LDF is that there is no point in sending Congress MPs to Parliament as there is no knowing when they will defect to the BJP post poll. Also, unlike the CPI(M) and the CPI, the Congress is scared to take the BJP bull by the horns. The beeline Congress leaders are making to the BJP from various states testifies to the fact that the party cannot be depended upon in the crucial battle to unseat the BJP from power at the Centre. (IPA Service)