IN a run up to the 15th assembly elections in Kerala, CPI(M) has released a list of 83 candidates on March 10, which includes the name of Pinarayi Vijayan, Polit Bureau member of the Party and chief minister of the state. CPI(M) fielded 85 candidates for the 140 member legislative assembly.  While releasing the list of candidates, A Vijayaraghavan, CPI(M) state secretary in-charge has said that 74 will contest as Party candidates and nine will contest as independents and candidates for Manjeswaram and Devikulam constituencies will be announced later. 12 women candidates are there in the list.

Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from his sitting seat, Dharmadam in Kannur district. CPI(M) Central Committee member and health minister K K Shailaja will contest from Mattannur. Central Committee members M V Govindan and K Radhakrishnan will contest from Thalipparambu and Chelakkara respectively. Electricity minister M M Mani and labour and excise minister T P Ramakrishnan will contest from Udumbanchola and Perambra respectively. CPI(M) state secretariat member P Rajeev (Kalamasseri) and K N Balagopal (Kottarakkara), fisheries minister J Mercykutti Amma, panchayat minister A C Moitheen (Kunnamkulam), devaswam minister Kadakampalli Surendran (Kazhakkoottam), higher education minister K T Jaleel (Thavanoor), film star M Mukesh (Kollam), play back singer Dalima Jojo (Aroor) will also seek the people’s mandate.  Two medical practitioners Dr J Jacob (Thrikkakkara) and Dr Sujith Vijayan (Chavara) are also in the fray.

13 candidates from student and youth organisations are contesting and four among them are under the age of 30. Those are SFI state secretary Sachin Dev (Balusseri), Jaick C Thomas (Puthuppalli), Lindo Jose (Thiruvambadi) and Mithuna (Wandoor).

The State Committee had decided on a guideline that those who had served two consecutive terms in the legislature need not be put up. On the basis of this guideline, five ministers and 33 sitting MLAs are not contesting this time.