With only a few weeks left for the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, political parties are facing a lot of internal changes as they finalise their candidates.
There have been many defections, protests, expulsions and rebel candidates across major alliances. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has seen the most issues, as several leaders who did not get tickets have openly expressed their dissatisfaction.
The LDF, which is aiming to win a third consecutive term, has been active in choosing its candidates early. In Chalakudy, the alliance has fielded Biju S. Chirayath, a former Congress leader, through its ally Kerala Congress (M). Chirayath resigned as a municipal councillor in the morning and was announced as the candidate by evening.
Chirayath is known to be popular among local people and had won with a strong margin in the last local body elections. His move to the LDF is seen as an advantage for the alliance, as they hope his popularity and local support will help them win the seat currently held by Congress MLA Saneesh Kumar Joseph.
However, not all decisions by the LDF have been accepted smoothly. In Nattika, sitting CPI MLA C.C. Mukundan was denied a ticket and later expelled from the party after he accused it of “selling” the seat. The party instead chose Geetha Gopi as its candidate.
After being denied a chance, Mukundan first considered joining Congress but later joined the BJP. He is now preparing to contest from the same constituency and has said he will expose corruption within the CPI during his campaign.
Overall, Kerala’s political scene is becoming more intense and unpredictable as elections approach, with parties dealing with both external competition and internal challenges.