Former Deshabhimani Bureau Chief K. Sreekandan to Contest as CPM Rebel in Ulloor, Thiruvananthapuram
CPM faces a rebel candidate in the upcoming Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. K. Sreekandan, a former bureau chief for Deshabhimani in Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the CPM Ulloor local committee, has announced his decision to contest as an independent candidate from the Ulloor ward.
Sreekandan voiced strong criticism against senior CPM leader Kadakampally Surendran, stating, “Kadakampally tricked me. After initially instructing me to prepare for the elections, he then chose someone else as the candidate. I wasn’t asked to prepare for a wedding, was I?” This comment highlights the internal discontent within the party regarding candidate selection.
Meanwhile, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) leadership last week unveiled its list of candidates for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections. Notably, current Mayor Arya Rajendran will not be seeking re-election. The initial list of 93 candidates from the ruling front includes a cohort of seasoned leaders, among them S.P. Deepak, a CPM District Committee member and former Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee.
Other prominent candidates include K. Sreekumar, former Mayor and Vanchiyoor Area Committee Secretary; Vanchiyoor Babu, Palayam Area Committee Secretary and former Councillor; and R.P. Sivaji, Vilappil Area Secretary. One of these leaders is anticipated to be the LDF’s mayoral candidate. In the Kavadiyar ward, CPM Local Secretary A. Sunil Kumar is slated to contest against UDF’s mayoral candidate, K.S. Sabarinathan.
The CPM plans to field candidates in 70 wards, while its ally CPI will contest in 17 wards. Other coalition partners, Kerala Congress (M) and RJD, will compete for three seats each. The LDF’s candidate list demonstrates a focus on youth, featuring 13 candidates under the age of 30 and 12 candidates under 40.
Further distribution of seats sees Janata Dal (S) contesting in two wards. INL, Congress (S), NCP, Kerala Congress (B), Janadhipathya Kerala Congress, and JSS will each contest in one ward. Former Deputy Mayor Rakhi Ravikumar will be contesting from Vazhuthacaud, and Deepak from Petta. Actor Poojappura Radhakrishnan will represent Kerala Congress (B) as a candidate from Jagathy.