Vijayakumar nominated for Chengannur by-poll

The Congress party in Kerala has decided to field D. Vijayakumar to contest the Chengannur assembly by-election, expected to be held soon.

Congress's Kerala unit President M.M. Hassan on Monday announced here that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has approved Vijayakumar's name.

"I was already engaged in the campaign but the official clearance of my name has just now come from the AICC. There is no doubt of the outcome and I will win comfortably," said the 65-year-old Vijayakumar.

Although the Election Commission is yet to give any indication of the by-poll, the three rival fronts have started zeroing down on their nominees.

Chengannur, in Alappuzha district, lost its incumbent Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator K.K. Ramachandran Nair, who passed away in January following an illness.

The CPI-M is likely to field Alappuzha district Secretary Saji Cherian, who has twice contested unsuccessfully in the past.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has approved the name of its former state party president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai for the by-poll.

--IANS

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