The CPI (M) on Saturday released a list of 16 candidates including six sitting MPs and four legislators for the Lok Sabah elections in Kerala. Out of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the CPI (M)’s junior partner CPI will contest the remaining four.

CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan released the list.

Out of seven sitting MPs the party has re-nominated six while it dropped Kasargode MP P Karunakaran. Two two women also figure in the list. Smaller allies in the ruling Left Democratic Front like the Nationalist Congress Party and Janata Dal were denied seats this time. This is the first time the party is fielding four MLAs in a Lok Sabha election. Since it enjoys a brute majority of 91 in the 140-member assembly, it can take chances.

“We have to win maximum seats this time. So we have fielded four legislators. Winability is the sole criteria. Allies are not upset and we have convinced them about the need of the hour,” said Balakrishnan while releasing the list. With prospects looking bleak in former citadels West Bengal and Tripura the party wants to win maximum seats from the state.

Two controversial candidates also figure in the list - P Jayarajan in Vadakara and P V Anwar from Ponnani. The party’s Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan is an accused in two political murders and Anwar is facing land-grabbing charges. But the party secretary denied their roles saying they were politically-motivated cases.

In north Kerala’s Kasaragode K P Satheesh Chandran has replaced sitting MP P Karunakaran who had won the seat for last three terms. In Kannur, P K Sreemati has been re-nominated as the CPI(M) candidate. In Kozhikkode it has fielded MLA A Pradeep Kumar to take on two-time sitting MP M K Raghavan of the Congress. In Palakkad M B Rajesh, Alathur P K Biju and A Sampath in Attingal, all sitting MPs, were re-nominated.

Similarly in Chalakudy sitting MP cine actor Innocent was re-nominated. In Ernakulam P Rajeev, former member of the Rajya Sabha and district secretary will be the party’s candidate. In Pathanamthitta Veena George MLA is trying her luck and in Kottayam it has fielded district secretary V N Vasavan. Another former RS MP K N Balagopalan will take on N K Premachandran (RSP) in Kollam.

With CPI (M) fielding many heavyweights the main opponent Congress may be forced to nominate many senior leaders. PCC president Mullapally Ramachandrran, former CM Oommen Chandy and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal have already announced their decision not to contest. But party sources said the high command will force some of them. Out of four CPI candidates two are MLAs - Chittayam Gopakumar in Mavelikkara and C Divakaran is Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress and BJP lists are expected next week.

First Published: Mar 09, 2019 16:39 IST