Kerala: Political campaigns heat up as by-elections approach; Final candidate list of three fronts soon
Kerala byelection: Political fronts have begun campaigning, with the United Democratic Front (UDF) leading the way by announcing its candidates first. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are currently in discussions to finalize their candidates, with the LDF expected to announce soon and the BJP indicating that its announcement will be timely.
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FollowPalakkad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (Oct 15) announced that by-elections for two Assembly constituencies in Kerala—Palakkad and Chelakkara—and the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala will be held on November 13, 2024. The vote counting is scheduled for November 23, 2024.
The political fronts have started campaigning for the elections. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has taken the lead by announcing its candidates first.
Meanwhile, both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in discussions to finalize their candidates. The LDF is expected to announce its candidates either today or tomorrow, while BJP leadership has indicated that their candidate announcement will not be delayed.
The CPM has reached a consensus on its candidates for the Palakkad and Chelakkara constituencies. In Chelakkara, the party is considering fielding former MLA U.R. Pradeep, a choice supported by the Thrissur district committee. No other names are under consideration by the leadership. For the Palakkad constituency, where CPM came in third in previous elections, district panchayat president Binumol is the preferred candidate. Meanwhile, discussions within CPI are ongoing to decide whom to field against Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad. The front is expected to announce all its candidates together, either today or tomorrow.
The BJP state leadership has prepared a list of three potential candidates for each constituency. For Palakkad, C. Krishnakumar and Shobha Surendran are under consideration, while T.N. Sarasu is being considered for Chelakkara. In Wayanad, K. Surendran and A.P. Abdullakutty are the primary candidates. The central leadership will also decide whether to introduce any surprise candidates.
Rahul Mamkootathil, the state president of the Youth Congress, will likely contest from Palakkad, while Ramya Haridas is set to represent Chelakkara. The state leadership has submitted a list to the high command featuring only one name for each constituency, with Priyanka Gandhi already confirmed as the candidate for Wayanad. An official announcement regarding the candidates is expected shortly.
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