Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 15 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and 11 of his cabinet colleagues were among the 81 candidates announced by the ruling CPI(M) on Sunday for the April 9 Assembly polls in the state.
The list was released by CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan at a press conference here soon after the schedule of the election was declared by the Election Commission in New Delhi.
Of the 81 candidates announced, six are party-backed independents. The independent candidates for the five constituencies-Koduvalli, Kottakkal, Kondotty, Tirur and Palakkad-will be declared soon, he said.
As many as 56 sitting MLAs are in the fray, he said, adding that 11 ministers besides CM Vijayan, are figured in the candidates list.
Vijayan is the only member of the CPI(M) Politburo contesting the polls, Govindan said.
However, A N Shamseer, who is now serving as Assembly Speaker, and M M Mani, a party veteran from high range Idukki district, failed to find a place on the list.
While Vijayan has been fielded in his sitting seat Dharmadam in Kannur district, senior leader K K Shailaja has been shifted to Peravoor from her current bastion-Mattannoor.
Apart from Vijayan, the ministers contesting the polls are O R Kelu (Mananthavady), P A Mohammed Riyas (Beypore), V Abdurahiman (Tanur), M B Rajesh (Thrithala), R Bindu (Irinjalakuda), P Rajeev (Kalamassery), V N Vasavan (Ettumanoor), Saji Cherian (Chengannur), Veena George (Aranmula), K N Balagopal (Kottarakkara) and V Sivankutty (Nemom).
As many as 10 women candidates are in the fray as CPI(M) nominees. They include K K Shailaja, P K Syamala , K Santhakumari, R Bindu, M B Shiny, Pushpa Das, Dalima Jojo, U Prathibha, Veena George and O S Ambika.
Among them, two are ministers and one is a former minister. Shyamala, contesting from Taliparamba constituency, is the wife of Govindan.
Govindan said the LDF government had ensured pro-people welfare and development in all sectors and that the past decade had witnessed the implementation of several projects once considered impossible.
He also claimed that the last 10 years had been a period without communalism and conflicts in the state.
He further said that the selection of candidates was carried out in a democratic manner.
While replying to a question, the Marxist party state secretary said the candidate for Thiruvananthapuram Central seat will be announced after the verdict in the material evidence case involving expelled MLA Antony Raju is pronounced on Monday.
The party has also announced its candidate T Ashok Kumar (independent) for the Mahe constituency in Puducherry, which also goes to polls on April 9. PTI LGK KH
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