The Hindu : CPI(M), CPI candidate selection from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 11, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

CPI(M), CPI candidate selection from today

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 10. The State secretariat of the Communist Part of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) and the State executive of the Communist Part of India (CPI) are meeting here for two days from Wednesday to identify the candidates for the Lok Sabha election. Besides candidate selection, the CPI(M) State secretariat is also expected to take up organisational and ideological issues connected with the People's Plan Campaign.

Senior CPI(M) leaders, including the CPI(M) general secretary, Harkishen Singh Surjeet, and politburo members, Prakash Karat and S. Ramachandran Pillai, would take part in the CPI(M) secretariat given the serious nature of the issues likely to figure in the discussions. The nature of discussions on organisational issues would depend on the decisions taken by the party politburo at its meeting held recently in Hyderabad.

The media has already begun guesswork on who would be fielded where. The party had contested 14 seats in the 1999 Lok Sabha election and won eight seats. There is talk that the party would like to contest one more seat this time, but the picture would be clear only after the LDF State committee meeting slated for February 19.

Even if the CPI(M) decides to contest the same number of seats as last time, it would mean that the demand of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) for the return of the Kollam seat to it would stand rejected. The Congress(Socialist) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would also have to go without any seat, as had happened last time. The CPI had been given four seats last time and there is no likelihood of any change in this number.

The big question is whether the CPI(M) would be ready to give a seat to the Kerala Congress (J) given the recent split in the party. Although the strength of the breakaway group led by P.C. George, MLA, which has christened itself as the Kerala Congress (Secular), on the ground is yet to be assessed, it has staked claim to the Idukki seat. The dispute between the two warring factions might prove to be a hurdle to the LDF leadership. Taking the seat away from the KC(J) is easier said than done because the party had won it for the LDF in the 1999 election and it has considerable clout in the constituency.

The CPI(M) is reportedly planning to field new faces in Kasaragod, Vadakara and Palakkad. Although there is talk of the CPI(M) wishing to exchange one of its seats with the CPI, the CPI leadership has said that no discussion on the subject had taken place so far.

For the CPI, the job is tougher because it would have to find new candidates for at least three of the four seats it is likely to contest, the seats being Thiruvananthapuram, Adoor and Ponnani.

The toughest job would be to find a good candidate in Thiruvananthapuram. The party district committee has proposed three names including those of the former Chief Minister, P.K. Vasudevan Nair, and the State general secretary of AITUC, C. Divakaran. The proposals of the party State executive would be placed before the State Council for approval.

The schedule for the State Council meeting is yet to be decided.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala