Congress names Lathika against VS in Kerala

The Communist Party of India-Marxist headed Left Democratic Front is way ahead in the election campaign as the Front had already begun its first round of campaign after deciding the candidates and publishing the Front's manifesto last week.

Posters and flex boards with pictures of LDF candidates have been put up in all the constituencies while the UDF's election work is yet to start.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and star campaigner for the LDF has already hit the campaign trail from Malampuzha in Palakkad district, from where he is contesting.

The 87-year old CPI-M veteran is getting enthusiastic reception in all the centres in the northern districts, the CPI-M's stronghold.

With the announcement of the Congress list of candidates, the UDF's campaign is expected to pick up in the coming days as uncertainty over seat-sharing of the Front partners has been settled. The Congress has come up with quite a few surprises in its selection of candidates by naming several new faces, including seven women.

Opposition leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy will contest from his traditional seat of Puthupalli in Kottayam district while the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala from Haripad in Alappuzha.

K Muraleedharan, former KPCC president and the son of late K Karunakaran, who was taken back in the party after six years of suspension, was given a ticket to contest from Vattiyurkavu in the state capital.

However, his younger sister Padmaja Venugopal, who was also an aspirant, has been denied a seat this time, with an explanation that her services would be used for party activities.

The Congress has nominated Lathika Subhash, a Mahila Congress leader, against Achuthanandan.

All the 23 sitting legislators have been renominated to contest from their respective sitting seats, though some segments have been renamed after delimitation.

The Congress's youth wing, Kerala Students Union president Shafi Paambil will contest from Palakkad. The state Youth Congress president P C Vishumath has been renominated from Chengannur.

Besides Lathika, the Congress's women candidates are Thankamani Divakaran (Attingal), Indira (Kalliassery), Shaheeda Kamal (Chadaymangalam), Bidu Krishna (Chathanoor), Shantha Jayaram (Shoranur) and P K Jayalakshmi (Mananthavadi).

Except the Socialist Janata Democratic party and the Communist Marxist Party, the other UDF partners – the Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress-Mani, KC-Jacob, KC-Balakrishnan and the Janathipathiya Samrakshana Samithy -- have also announced their list of candidates.

Besides the main political players in Kerala, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is trying to open its account in the assembly, has started a vigorous campaign in all the 140 segments.

The party is focussing on five seats, including that of former Union minister O Rajagopal who is contesting from Nemom in the state capital.

The BJP's top leaders, including Sushma Swaraj, are expected to arrive for campaigning in the coming days.