New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, February 27 – The political future of several senior leaders, including former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, sitting MLA K.K. Shailaja, 80-year-old Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Politburo member A. Vijayaraghavan, is expected to become clearer as the Politburo meeting of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) began in New Delhi on Friday.
With candidate selection high on the agenda, discussions are likely to focus on whether senior leaders and Central Committee members should be fielded, and if so, from where.
A final decision on Chief Minister Vijayan's candidature is expected only after the Politburo deliberations, amid speculation over generational transition and internal norms on age and tenure.
In Kannur, the emerging candidate list has already triggered murmurs of dissent.
Shailaja is reportedly unhappy over indications that she may not be fielded again from Mattannur, a constituency she has represented.
Sources suggest she has conveyed to the state leadership that she would prefer not to contest if denied the seat.
Isaac, also a party central committee member, has, according to sources close to him, expressed the desire to contest the polls.
He was a surprise omission in the 2021 Assembly polls, but after his defeat at the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, his stock dimmed, but he is keen to get one final chance.
Differences have also surfaced in Thaliparamba, where local leaders are divided over potential nominees.
Reports indicate that senior state secretary M.V. Govindan is keen on fielding journalist-turned-politician M.V. Nikesh Kumar, even as other names circulate within district circles.
Kumar lost the 2016 Assembly polls when fielded from his home district Kannur.
The deliberations come at a crucial juncture for the CPI(M), which is seeking to retain power in a politically-charged environment.
Beyond individual tickets, the Politburo's decisions are expected to signal the party's broader approach balancing continuity, loyalty and internal discipline as it heads into a high-stakes electoral battle.
The drubbing it received in the December local body polls had send shockwaves through the party, right up to the national leadership.
It remains to be seen if Vijayan and Govindan will have the final word or will the national leadership put its foot down.