Thiruvananthapuram, February 21: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has begun preparations for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. On Saturday, the party convened a 17-member state secretariat meeting to discuss potential candidates.
This meeting marks the first phase of the party’s internal selection process ahead of the elections. The secretariat will first determine which of its members will contest. Once this decision is made, the proposed names will be sent to the respective district committees for approval. After receiving district-level consent, the final list will be returned to the state leadership for completion.
The secretariat includes Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and five state ministers: P.A. Mohammed Riyas, Saji Cherian, K.N. Balagopal, P. Rajeev, and V.N. Vasavan. Other notable members are state secretary M.V. Govindan, former health minister K.K. Shailaja, and Left Democratic Front convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan.
All these individuals are current legislators. Senior leaders Thomas Isaac, E.P. Jayarajan, M.V. Jayarajan, M. Swaraj, K.K. Jayachandran, Puthalethu Dinesh, P.K. Biju, and C.N. Mohanan are also part of this panel. Additionally, central committee members C.S. Sujata, K.S. Salikha, and P. Sathi Devi are likely to be considered. It remains to be seen whether veteran leaders P.K. Srimathi and Elamaram Kareem will also secure a spot on this panel.
CPI(M) is striving for a third consecutive term in power, but after a significant defeat in the local body elections in December, the leadership is exercising caution. The party lost its grip on several traditional strongholds during these elections.
Currently, the party governs only one of the six corporations in the state, a sharp decline from five corporations under its control following the 2020 local body elections. In the 2021 Assembly elections, CPI(M) contested 75 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly and won 62.
– Satyam Dubey/VC
My name is Narendra Jijhontiya. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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