The strategy of fielding serving MLAs in the Lok Sabha polls is being worked out again in Kerala this time in a bid to cash in on their image of “winnable candidates” among voters.
There are four MLAs, including a Minister, on the candidate list announced by the CPI(M). They are V. Joy (Varkala), M. Mukesh (Kollam), Minister for Devaswom K. Radhakrishnan (Chelakkara) and K.K. Shailaja (Mattannur). While Mr. Joy is contesting the polls in Attingal, Mr. Mukesh is the candidate from Kollam, Mr. Radhakrishnan is fighting the election in Alathur and Ms. Shailaja has been deployed in Vadakara.
Political analysts are of the view that their candidature also reflects the CPI(M)‘s attempt to overcome the perceived anti-incumbency feeling among voters against the second Left Democratic Front (LDF) Ministry led by Pinarayi Vijayan.
The same logic is reported to have worked in favour of former Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac (from Pathanamthitta) and former Education Minister C. Raveendranath (from Chalakudy), both of who had made their mark in the first Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry.
However, United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs and Ministers have had a better track record when it comes to successfully contesting the Lok Sabha polls.
The late Indian Union Muslim League leader, C.H. Mohammed Koya, was a Minister for Education when he contested and won the 1973 Lok Sabha bypolls from Manjeri.
The LDF’s Health Minister of the Congress (S), A.C. Shanmughadas, lost the 1996 polls from Kannur. Veteran Congress leader Vakkom Purushothaman was the Assembly Speaker when he won the 1984 election from Alappuzha.
Congress leaders K. Sudhakaran, K.V. Thomas, and K.C. Venugopal were MLAS for Kannur, Ernakulam, and Alappuzha, respectively, when they tested their fortunes in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. All the three got elected from their respective seats. P.K. Kunhalikutty was the Vengara MLA when he won the 2017 Lok Sabha bypoll from Malappuram.
The UDF tried the same formula in the 2019 polls too and the then MLAs like K. Muraleedharan (Vattiyoorkkavu), Adoor Prakash (Konni), and Hibi Eden (Ernakulam) emerged successful in Vadakara, Attingal, and Ernakulam respectively.
Though the LDF too had put up its MLAs like A. Pradeepkumar (Kozhikode North), P.V. Anvar (Nilambur), Veena George (Pathanamthitta), A.M. Arif (Aroor), Chittayam Gopakumar (Adoor) and C. Divakaran (Karunagappally) in Kozhikode, Ponnani, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, and Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituencies respectively, only Mr. Arif could win.
