A clear picture on the impending Lok Sabha polls in Kozhikode district has emerged, with the BJP officially declaring M.T. Ramesh, its State general secretary, as its candidate for the Kozhikode seat and Yuva Morcha State President C.R. Praful Krishnan for the Vadakara segment.
The CPI(M) has already announced the names of trade union leader Elamaram Kareem for Kozhikode and K.K. Shailaja, Mattannur MLA, for Vadakara. M.K. Raghavan, Congress’ incumbent MP for Kozhikode, who has represented the constituency thrice in a row, is all set to seek another term. K. Muraleedharan, the party’s MP for Vadakara, is also expected to be fielded again. Though the United Democratic Front is yet to announce their candidates officially, the Congress has already made public its decision to retain the candidature of the incumbent MPs in the State.
A Rajayasabha MP and former Industries Minister, Mr. Kareem is as popular as Mr. Raghavan in the constituency. Though hailing from the neighbouring districts, both have made Kozhikode their home over the years. Mr. Ramesh, on the other hand, hails from Ayancheri in Kozhikode, making him a local man to the core. He has contested the Lok Sabha election from Kozhikode in 2004 and from Pathanamthitta in 2014. Besides, he had contested the Kerala Legislative Assembly polls from Aranmula in Pathanamthitta in 2016 and Kozhikode North in 2021 as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate.
When Mr. Ramesh contested from the same constituency in 2004, he was a novice, but as the State general secretary of the BJP, he has become a more familiar face to voters in the State. With the BJP’s increasing vote base in Kerala, Mr. Ramesh could offer a much tougher fight to his opponents this time, which makes the battle for Kozhikode even more interesting.
All these candidates have already kick-started their campaigns. Both Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Krishnan have just begun. Mr. Kareem and Ms. Shailaja are meeting different sections of people in various Assembly constituencies. Mr. Raghavan has kicked of a week-long ‘Janahridaya Yathra’, while Mr. Muraleedharan is attending various events in Vadakara.
