Elections 2019: Amid Conflicts, Kerala UDF Releases Candidates List

The United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala which has been struggling to finalise the list of candidates for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, finally announced their candidates except four out of total 20 seats. On Saturday, March 16, Congress released its fourth list of 27 candidates including 12 from Kerala.

Out of total 20 parliament seats in Kerala, Congress is contesting from 16 seats. Two seats go to Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and Kerala Congress (M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) will be contesting for one seat each. The candidates for Vadakara, Attingal, Wayanad and Alappuzha are yet to be finalised considering the group equations in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

On Monday, March 18, the discussion to finalise the candidates for the remaining four seats concluded unsuccessfully as the leaders failed to reach in a conscience. The decision to declare candidates in these constituencies has been passed to All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Read More: Elections 2019: How Cong-NCP Allowed Momentum to Slip Away in Maharashtra

Though the names of former chief minister and AICC secretary Oommen Chandy; sitting MP of Alappuzha and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal; and KPCC president and sitting MP of Vadakara Mullappally Ramachandran have been floating around, they have stepped out from the election battle saying that they will not be in the battle field as party candidates.

Kozhikode District Committee President T Siddique’s name was proposed by Oommen Chandy for the Wayanad seat. But Ramesh Chennithala proposed Shanimol Usman’s name. Along with this, Malappuram DCC president VV Prakash’s name was there in the list of possible candidates for Wayanad. But the latest report say that Siddique is likely to get the Wayanad seat, and Shanimol Usman and Adoor Prakash will contest from Alappuzha and Attingal, respectively.

Vadakara constituency is still a question for the UDF and as the KPCC has failed find a candidate for the seat, AICC would take the final decision. Earlier, there were reports that the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader KK Rema would stand against P Jayarajan of CPI(M) as a common candidate. Later, Rema and RMP declared that they will support the UDF candidate in Vadakara to oust the LDF candidate.

The irony is that the RMP which was formed against the “CPI(M)’s deviation from its ideologies”, has now allied with right wingers to defeat the Left in the constituency.

In Thiruvananthapuram, sitting MP Shashi Tharoor will defend the Congress in the elections. In Kannur, former MP and senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran will contest against CPI(M)’s PK Sreemathi. Sitting MP MK Raghavan has gotten yet another chance from Kozhikode, while former spokesperson Rajmohan Unnithan will represent UDF in Kasargod constituency.

In the list, there are two new faces including Palakkad and Alathur candidates. VK Sreekanthan and Remya Haridas will represent UDF from Palakkad and Alathur, respectively. Sitting MLA Hibi Eden was selected as the candidate from Ernakulam. While, KV Thomas, the sitting MP from Ernakulam has been denied seat following opposition from the KPCC. Shortly after KV Thomas was denied a seat, rumours and speculations were rife that he would follow the Congress leaders who had joined BJP ahead of the elections. Thomas, however, stayed with Congress and dismissed the speculations that he may join in BJP.

Though KV Thomas is known as the close patron of Congress’s former chief Sonia Gandhi, he failed to gather the support of the state leadership of the party. The state leadership, however, was very clear that the party needs much stronger candidate in Ernakulam constituency to fight against P Rajeev of CPI(M).

From Chalakudy, former MLA and senior leader Benny Behanan will contest and sitting MP Kodikunnil Suresh will represent UDF in Mavelikara constituency once again. Pathanamthitta is being contested by sitting MP Anto Antony, Idukki goes to the youth Congress leader Dean Kuriakose and senior leader TN Prathapan will contest from Thrissur.

Read more: Elections 2019: CPI(M) Announces 16 Candidates in Kerala

Meanwhile, UDF allies, IUML, RSP and Kerala Congress (M), had announced their candidates earlier and started the campaigns. IUML which is having two seats, fielded PK Kunhalikutty in Malappuram and ET Muhammed Basheer in Ponnani. Though IUML had an upper hand in these constituencies, the strong faces from Left make the battle really tough. SFI national president VP Sanu is contesting against Kunhalikutty and the Left camp believes that the student leader can do wonders in this constituency.

At present, the IUML leadership is facing strong criticisms for meeting Social Democratic Party of India and Popular Front leaders secretly for political gains. Though IUML dismissed it saying that it was a normal meeting, SDPI leader P Abdul Majeed Faisy said that the meeting was political and it was on election duty.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan slammed the secret meeting as a deadly attempt from UDF to play communal cards in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Like Congress, Kerala Congress (M) had also seen many internal fights between KM Mani and PJ Joseph factions for their Kottayam seat. Finally, Thomas Chazhikadan has been declared as the UDF candidate from Kottayam. While, RSP has fielded NK Premachandran from kollam seat.

Read More : Elections 2019: CPI(M) Releases First List of Seats to be Contested in Lok Sabha Polls

The Left Democratic Front in the state, however, is far ahead in the campaign as they had announced their candidates on March 9 and started their various campaigns in ground.