CPI in Kerala releases first list of candidates

CPI in Kerala, the second largest partner in the CPI-M headed Left Democratic Front today released its first list of 25 candidates for the May 16 Assembly polls, even as the Front will come out with its full list of candidates tomorrow.
The CPI state council met here and finalised the list of candidates for the 25 seats out of the 27 segments the party iscontesting, a party release said here.
Ten sitting MLAs, including former state minister and party leader in the present Assembly C Divakaran and twowomen legislators Geetha Gopi (Nattika) and party firebrand leader E S Bijimol (Peerumedu) are in the list.

Meanwhile, 93-year-old CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan, party Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, three media personalities and noted Malayalam actor Mukesh are among the prominent probable candidates in the list of CPI-M.
Achuthanandan, state Opposition leader, is most likely to contest fromMalampuzha in Palakkad district while Vijayan, former party state secretary, might try his luck from Dharmadan in the politically sensitive northern district of Kannur, and Mukesh from Kollam.
As per the seat-sharing agreement in LDF, CPI(M) will contest 93 seats, while the second largest partner CPI in 27.

The remaining 20 seats of the 140 assembly segments have been allotted to its minor constituents and parties supporting the Front from outside.

Media personalities M V Nikesh Kumar, Veena George and Sebastin Paul, also a former MP, will contest from Azhikode, Aranmula and Thirkkakara respectively.
Vijayan, who virtually kickstarted his campaign today said he was contesting as per the directives of the party.
"There is nothing unusual in moving from organisational set up to parliament system," Vijayan, the party strongman and also a former state minister, said.
Party workers accorded a grand reception to Vijayan when he arrived at the Thalassery railway station on way tohis constituency.
Flex boards and writing on walls in his support had already come up in the constituency, which was won by party candidate K K Narayanan by more than 15,000 votes in 2011.

Braving scorching heat, nonagenarian former Chief Minister Achuthanandan had visited Malampuzha segment two days back and addressed party workers at Pudussery.
Asked about his chances of victory, Achuthanandan quipped that it was for the people of Malampuzha to decide.
(REOPENS MDS11)
LDF faced a bit of an embarrassment today after V
Surendran Pillai, a leader of Kerala Congress (Sacria faction), a minor partner in the Front and party leader Scaria Thomas engaged in a spat over the seat-sharing accord.
Upset over denial of Thiruvananthapuram seat which he was expecting to contest, Pillai said the 'Kaduthuruthy'seat allotted to the party was not winnable.

Reacting sharply to Pillai's statement, Thomas, who will be the party candidate in Kaduthiruthy said, "Pillai is disappointed as he was denied a seat.
"Pillai should not have said that a seat which is to be contested by the party chairman is not winnable."
Meanwhile, former government chief whip and a LDF fellow traveler P C George, disgruntled over denial of ticket by the Front said LDF leaders "cheated" him by denying the Poojar seat.
He also said he would contest from Poojar with the support of the people.