Thiruvananthapuram: Film actor Sudheer Karamana will contest as an LDF-backed independent candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram Central constituency. He replaces Democratic Kerala Congress former MLA Antony Raju. Although the party initially opposed the decision, the CPM leadership intervened to resolve the differences. The front believes Sudheer Karamana has strong winning prospects.

With Sudheer Karamana entering the fray as the Left candidate, the BJP is also reworking its strategy. The party is reportedly considering fielding actor G Krishna Kumar instead of district president Karamana Jayan, who was earlier announced as the candidate. Krishna Kumar had recently shared photos on social media of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his family, following which speculation about his candidature gained momentum. In his post, he described the meeting as a blessing and said it was a proud moment to meet and spend time with a leader admired globally.

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Sudheer Karamana had actively campaigned for the CPM in the previous local body elections. His popularity and political background are seen as advantageous for the LDF in the constituency. He is the son of veteran actor Karamana Janardanan Nair.

In the previous election, Thiruvananthapuram was the only seat contested by the Democratic Kerala Congress, with Antony Raju winning and later becoming a minister. However, he lost his MLA position after being convicted in a case related to misappropriation of evidence. The High Court rejected his plea to stay the conviction, leaving him disqualified from contesting elections.

CMP leader CP John is the UDF candidate in the constituency.