Kerala polls: CPI(M) releases list of 83 candidates, Pinarayi Vijayan to contest from Dharmadam

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 10: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has released list of 83 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be contesting from Dharmadam.

While state health minister KK Shailaja will be contesting from Mattannur, state higher education minister KT Jaleel will contest from Thavanoor. Labour minister T P Ramakrishnan, Power minister M M Mani,Devaswom minister Kadakkampally Surendran, Fisheries minister Mercykutty Amma and Local Self Government minister A C Moideen are trying their luck once again.

However, five ministers have been denied seats-- T M Thomas Isaac, E P Jayarajan, R Ravindranath, G Sudhakaran and A K Balan as the party decided not to provide seats to those who had been elected twice. M V Govindan Master, K Radhakrishan, P Rajeev and K N Balagopal are the state secretariat members who are contesting.

There are 12 women candidates in the list. Candidates for Manjeshwaram and Devikulam constituencies would be announced later, Acting state secretary, A Vijayaraghavan, told reporters here.

The party''s aim was not to deny tickets to anyone, but to give an opportunity to new candidates, he said.

The CPI(M) led LDF is eyeing a second consecutive term this time. In the 2016 polls, the LDF had won 91 seats in the 140- member assembly.

The party has given up seven seats, including five sitting seats, to accommodate allies. The party has also accommodated 13 candidates from its youth and student bodies.

Kerala will go to polls in a single phase on April 6, 2021.