Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its principal ally the CPI announced their candidates for the Kerala assembly elections shortly after the Election Commission declared polling dates for four states and a Union Territory.
The CPI(M) released a list of 86 nominees—75 party members and the rest Independents—of whom 56 are sitting MLAs.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, contesting his third consecutive election as the party’s face, will fight from his home constituency of Dharmadam in Kannur. Ten sitting ministers also feature in the list: P.A. Muhammad Riyas (Bepur), O.R. Kelu (Mananthavady), M.B. Rajesh (Thrithala), R. Bindu (Irinjalakkuda), P. Rajeev (Kalamassery), V.N. Vasavan (Ettumanoor), Saji Cherian (Chengannur), Veena George (Aranmula), K.N. Balagopal (Kottarakkara) and V. Sivankutty (Nemom).
Two contests are expected to be particularly sharp. In Thiruvananthapuram’s Nemom, Sivankutty will face BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Nemom was the only assembly seat BJP won in Kerala in 2016, before Sivankutty wrested it back in 2021.
In Peravoor, veteran K.K. Shailaja has been moved into a Congress-held seat currently represented by Congress’s Kerala unit president Sunny Joseph. The shift vacates Shailaja’s Mattannur constituency in Kannur, where Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state president V.K. Sanoj will contest this year.
Kerala Speaker A.N. Shamseer, and former minister M.M. Mani are not included in the list.
Announcing the list, party state secretary M.V. Govindan said Sunday the fielding of CM and Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan had been settled in advance and the full slate was prepared democratically—drawn up by district secretariats, then discussed and approved by the state and central secretariats.
He said the Left government had delivered projects once considered unviable, including the Wayanad tunnel and widening of National Highway-66, and had won public support for its Nava Kerala agenda and its position against communalism.
“We eradicated extreme poverty and ensured welfare pension to 62 lakh people, and title deeds to 4.5 lakh, besides giving houses to 5 lakh families. In health and education, we achieved many milestones. In PSC (public service commission) appointments, we were able to give jobs to many people in India. The LDF also gave a tenure without power cuts. And we completed projects like GAIL and NH-66, which were once considered impossible. We also became a model government in crisis. We are hoping that the government that came to power in 2016 and 2021 will repeat in 2026 too,” Govindan said.
CPI(M) candidates launched their campaigns across the state shortly after the list was released.
The CPI announced 25 candidates separately, including four sitting MLAs who will defend their own seats: J. Chinchu Rani (Ollur), K. Rajan (Nedumangad), G.R. Anil (Cherthala), and P. Prasad (Chadayamangalam).
Polling for all 140 Kerala assembly seats is scheduled for 9 April; votes will be counted on 4 May.
Full list of CPI(M) candidates
Kasaragod: Manjeshwaram — K.R. Jayananda; Uduma — Advocate C.H. Kunjambu; Thrikkarippur — Dr E.P.P. Musthafa
Kannur: Payyannur — T.I. Madhusoodhanan; Taliparamba — T.K. Shyamala; Azhikode — K.V. Sumesh; Kalliasseri — M. Vijin; Dharmadam — Pinarayi Vijayan; Mattannur — V.K. Sanoj; Peravoor — K.K. Shailaja; Thalassery — Karayi Rajan
Wayanad: Mananthavady — O.R. Kelu; Sulthan Bathery — M.S. Viswanathan
Kozhikode: Kuttiadi — K.P. Kunhammed Kutty Master; Perambra — T.P. Ramakrishnan; Balussery — K.M. Sachin Dev; Koyilandy — K. Dasan; Kozhikode North — Thottathil Raveendran; Beypore — P.A. Mohammed Riyas; Thiruvambady — Linto Joseph
Malappuram: Ponnani — Advocate M.K. Sakeer; Vandoor — Dr K.K. Damodaran Master; Perinthalmanna — E.P. Muhammad Haneefa; Mankada — M.B. Alavi
Palakkad: Thrithala — M.B. Rajesh; Tarur — P.P. Sumod; Alathur — T.P. Sasi; Nenmara — N.K. Premachandran (Preman); Shoranur — P. Mammikutty; Ottapalam — K. Premkumar; Kongad — Advocate K. Santhakumari; Malampuzha — V.A. Parameswaran
Thrissur: Kunnamkulam — A.C. Moideen; Chelakkara — U.R. Pradeep; Manalur — Prof C. Ravindranath; Guruvayur — N.J. Akbar; Pudukkad — K.K. Ramachandran; Irinjalakuda — R. Bindu; Wadakkanchery — Xavier Chittilappilly
Ernakulam: Angamaly — Advocate Saju Paul; Aluva — A.M. Ariff; Kunnathunad — P.V. Sreenijin; Vypin — M.B. Sainy; Kalamassery — P. Rajeeve; Thrikkakkara — Advocate P.S. Pushpadas; Kochi — K.J. Maxi; Thripunithura — K.N. Unnikrishnan; Kothamangalam — Antony John
Idukki: Udumbanchola — K.K. Jayachandran; Devikulam — Advocate A. Raja
Kottayam: Ettumanoor — V.N. Vasavan; Kottayam — Advocate K. Anil Kumar; Puthuppally — K.M. Radhakrishnan
Alappuzha: Aroor — Daleema Jojo; Alappuzha — C.C. Chitharanjan; Ambalappuzha — H. Salam; Kayamkulam — U. Prathibha; Chengannur — Saji Cherian; Mavelikkara — M.S. Arun Kumar
Pathanamthitta: Aranmula — Veena George; Konni — Advocate K.U. Jenish Kumar
Kollam: Kottarakkara — K.N. Balagopal; Kundara — S.L. Sajikumar; Iravipuram — M. Noushad; Kollam — S. Jayamohan
Thiruvananthapuram: Varkala — V. Joy; Attingal — O.S. Ambika; Vamanapuram — D.K. Murali; Kazhakkoottam — Kadakampally Surendran; Vattiyoorkavu — Advocate V.K. Prasanth; Nemom — V. Sivankutty; Kattakkada — Advocate I.B. Satheesh; Aruvikkara — D. Stephen; Neyyattinkara — K. Ansalan; Parassala — C.K. Hareendran
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