High-profile political battles are on the cards in Kozhikode in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls though the Left Democratic Front (LDF), United Democratic Front (UDF), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are yet to officially declare their candidates.
According to reports, the UDF has decided to field M.K. Raghavan and K. Muraleedharan, incumbent MPs from Kozhikode and Vadakara, respectively, again. The LDF has tentatively proposed the names of Elamaram Kareem, Rajya Sabha MP, for Kozhikode, and K.K. Shailaja, Mattannur MLA and former Health Minister, for Vadakara.
Mr. Raghavan has been representing Kozhikode since 2009. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha by a slender margin of 838 votes against current Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas. Mr. Raghavan gradually increased both his popularity as well as his majority of votes in successive elections. In 2014, he defeated senior CPI(M) leader A. Vijayaraghavan by a margin of 16,883 votes and in 2019, Mr. Raghavan trounced A. Pradeepkumar, then an MLA for Kozhikode North, by 85,225 votes. An easily accessible politician, he has endeared himself to the people of the constituency by bringing in important Centrally-funded projects here.
The CPI(M) is learnt to have decided to field Mr. Kareem, a well-known trade union leader, former MLA representing Beypore, and an Industries Minister between 2006 and 2011, to put up a tough fight against Mr. Raghavan. Mr. Kareem has made his presence felt in the Rajya Sabha during his current tenure through significant interventions against the Union government. The CPI(M) feels that his popularity among minorities and working class population will stand him in good stead. Both the probable candidates are actively participating in public events in the constituency. Mr. Raghavan is planning to take out a march from March 1 to meet the people.
Mr. Muraleedharan was a last-minute candidate of the UDF when he was chosen to fight against LDF candidate P. Jayarajan, the then Kannur district secretary of the CPI(M), in Vadakara, in 2019. The former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president captured the seat with a majority of 84,663 votes. Vadakara, a CPI(M) stronghold, had been represented by party nominees between 1996 and 2009, when the Congress’ Mullappally Ramachandran defeated P. Sathidevi, the incumbent MP. He retained the seat till 2019. An internal revolt in the CPI(M) led by T.P. Chandrasekharan that led to the formation of the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India, which later cooperated with the UDF, contributed to the Left’s debacle. By fielding Ms. Shailaja, one of the most popular political leaders in the State, who commands respect from even her rivals, the party thinks that it can tan turn the tables on its opponents.
Deliberations for candidate selection are on in the NDA as well with the names of senior BJP leaders Sobha Surendran, M.T. Ramesh, P.K. Krishnadas, and V.K. Sajeevan doing the rounds as possible candidates.
