Thiruvananthapuram, March 15 Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and 11 of his cabinet colleagues were among the 81 candidates announced by the ruling CPI(M) on Sunday for the April 9 Assembly polls in the state.
The list was released by CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan at a press conference here shortly after the Election Commission in New Delhi announced the election schedule.
Of the 81 candidates announced, six are independent candidates backed by the party. The independent candidates for the five constituencies – Koduvalli, Kottakkal, Kondotty, Tirur, and Palakkad – will be announced soon, he said.
As many as 56 sitting MLAs are in the fray, he said, adding that 11 ministers, besides Chief Minister Vijayan, are also on the list of candidates.
Vijayan is the only member of the CPI(M) Politburo contesting the polls, Govindan said.
However, A N Shamseer, who is now serving as Assembly Speaker, and M M Mani, a veteran from the high range district of Idukki, did not find a place on the list.
While Vijayan has been fielded in his sitting seat of Dharmadam in Kannur district, senior leader K K Shailaja has been shifted to Peravoor from her current stronghold – Mattannoor.
Besides Vijayan, the other ministers contesting the polls are O R Kelu (Mananthavady), P A Mohammed Riyas (Beypore), V Abdurahiman (Tanur), M B Rajesh (Thrithala), R Bindu (Irinjalakuda), P Rajeev (Kalamassery), V N Vasavan (Ettumanoor), Saji Cherian (Chengannur), Veena George (Aranmula), K N Balagopal (Kottarakkara), and V Sivankutty (Nemom).
As many as 10 women candidates are also in the fray as CPI(M) nominees. They include K K Shailaja, P K Syamala, K Santhakumari, R Bindu, M B Shiny, Pushpa Das, Dalima Jojo, U Prathibha, Veena George, and O S Ambika.
Among them, two are ministers and one is a former minister. Shyamala, contesting from the Taliparamba constituency, is the wife of Govindan.
Govindan said the LDF government had ensured welfare and development in all sectors, and that the past decade had witnessed the implementation of several projects that were once considered impossible.
He also claimed that the last 10 years had been a period without communalism and conflicts in the state.
He further said that the selection of candidates was carried out in a democratic manner.
While replying to a question, the Marxist party state secretary said the candidate for the Thiruvananthapuram Central seat will be announced after the verdict in the case involving expelled MLA Antony Raju is pronounced on Monday.
The party has also announced its candidate, T Ashok Kumar (independent), for the Mahe constituency in Puducherry, which also goes to polls on April 9.