Left parties in Kerala gearing up for LS polls
Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI-M and the CPI is Kerala have started preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a source said on Saturday, adding the Left parties would be be aiming at improving their performance in the southern state.
In 2019, the Left managed to win just one of the 20 Lok Sabha seats.
According to a source, the next two weeks are going to be crucial when the two parties sit down to do the selection of candidates to be fielded.
While both the Left parties during the 2021 assembly polls decided to keep out those who contested three or more times, this time they have decided to field experienced campaigners and it includes even sitting legislators.
During the CPI-M central committee meeting of the party that was held here a few days ago, the discussions focussed on the strategy to be adopted with regards to candidates and the type of election campaigns to be held.
After the CPI-M meeting, names of likely candidates have also started taking the rounds and it includes heavyweights like former state ministers — K.K. Shailaja, Thomas Isaac and A.K.Balan.
Of the three, Shailaja is a sitting legislator.
The name of Kerala Minister for SC/ST, K.Radhakrishnan is also making rounds, while another sitting legislator Kadakampally Surendran is also being considered as nominee.
A. Vijayaraghavan, politburo member and husband of State Higher Education Minister R. Bindhu is another leader who might be fielded.
Another popular name who was sidelined during the 2021 assembly polls was that of Raju Abraham.
The CPI-M contests 16 seats while the CPI contests four.
The CPI is also finding it tough as it has no Lok Sabha member from Kerala and they too have decided not to experiment and is mulling to look to popular names like former Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha member Paniyan Ravindran and former State Minister for Agriculture V.S. Sunil Kumar from Thrissur.