Unfazed by the continuing uncertainty over its candidate, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has commenced efforts to catch up with the United Democratic Front (LDF) at Puthuppally by kicking off election conventions.
A meeting of the LDF district committee here on Thursday finalised the schedule for holding the conventions at various levels, family meets and the campaign itinerary of the candidate. According to Lopez Mathew, district convener of the LDF, the coalition will declare its candidate on August 12.
“The filing of nomination papers on August 16 will be followed by a constituency-level convention. Conventions at the local body level will be organised the following day,” he said.
Official sources said the coalition, especially the CPI(M), was still undecided on whether to repose faith in Jaick C. Thomas who had staged an impressive performance against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy the last time. Besides Mr. Thomas, the party is considering a couple of other names.
An earlier attempt by the Left front to convince Nibu John, a close aid of the late Congress leader Chandy, of contesting against UDF candidate Chandy Oommen had been foiled following an intervention by the Congress leadership. Both the LDF and Mr. John , however, sought to dismiss the reports in this regard.
Meanwhile, the LDF too has expressed its reservations on the present schedule of the bypoll which will coincide with the festival season. “The schedule has been announced without considering the celebrations such as Onam, Ayyankali Jayanti and Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti and the annual festival of the Manarcad church. In this backdrop, we have approached the Election Commission seeking to postpone the bypoll by at least a couple of weeks,” said V.N. Vasavan, Cooperation Minister and CPI(M) leader in-charge of the LDF campaign at Puthuppally.
Holding that the announcement of the byelection even before the completion of Chandy’s posthumous rites as unusual, Mr. Vasavan said the State government had already intimated the matter to the election authorities.
The LDF’s demand comes close on the heels of a similar one raised by the Ayarkunnam block committee of the Congress.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan here on Thursday convened a core committee of senior Congress leaders to chart out the party’s electioneering strategy. According to party sources, the Congress is planning to go full throttle after observing the 40th day of Chandy’s death on August 22.
