Thiruvananthapuram: With Assembly elections approaching in Kerala, coalition negotiations within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) have gathered momentum.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), the second-largest constituent of the Left Front, has decided to drop six sitting legislators who have completed three consecutive terms, signalling a generational transition and adherence to its internal rotation policy.

CPI drops six MLAs

Those denied renomination include Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar, P.S. Supal, E.K. Vijayan, V. Sasi, E.S. Jayalal and former minister E. Chandrasekheran. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s senior leadership in Thiruvananthapuram.

In the 140-member Assembly elected in 2021, the CPI contested 23 seats and won 17 — a performance it will be keen to replicate as it refreshes its candidate list.

Parallel seat-sharing discussions are under way within the LDF, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). The Kerala Congress (M), the third-largest ally in the coalition, has formally sought one additional constituency compared to the 12 seats it contested in the last Assembly election.

“Yes, we have asked for one more seat than we contested last time,” said Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani. 

Attention is now focused on the CPM, which heads the coalition and is expected to finalise its draft list of candidates at the State Secretariat meeting on Tuesday. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the CPM contested 75 seats and secured victory in 62.

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While district committees have submitted their recommended lists, reports suggest that several prominent figures may not feature in the final selection. Among those said to be missing are former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, sitting MLA M.M. Mani, and former legislators P. Jayarajan and M. Swaraj. Politburo member A. Vijayaraghavan is also reportedly out of contention.

Responding to speculation, M.M. Mani said he was unaware of the latest political developments, adding that he had been occupied with party work. Addressing reports that he had been dropped on health grounds, he remarked that apart from being diabetic, he had no other health concerns, noting that several party leaders — including K.K. Jayachandran, whose name has been cleared by the district unit for Mani’s Assembly seat — are also diabetic.

Uncertainty also surrounds the candidature of K.K. Shailaja. There are indications that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is keen on a high-profile contest against State Congress president and sitting MLA Sunny Joseph, while Shailaja is understood to prefer defending her existing constituency.

With Vijayan, 80, cleared by the CPM Politburo to spearhead the party’s election campaign, Tuesday’s deliberations are expected to highlight the delicate balance between continuity and course correction within the Left Democratic Front.

(IANS)