In 2016, K. Praveen Kumar of the Congress appeared to buck the trend of the Communist Party of India’s (CPI) four-and-a-half-decades of successive election victories from Nadapuram. But he lost to incumbent MLA E.K. Vijayan by a narrow margin of 4,759 votes.
Nadapuram chose a non-CPI candidate only twice in the past 54 years, when Hameedali Shamnad of the Indian Union Muslim League and E.V. Kumaran of the CPI(M) won from here in 1960 and 1965, respectively. Since 1970, only CPI candidates have emerged victorious. They are M. Kumaran, Kandalottu Kunhambu, K.T. Kanaran, Sathyan Mokeri, Benoy Viswam, and Mr. Vijayan.
As another poll season arrives, voters of this segment may have a sense of déjà vu with both Mr. Vijayan, who won from here in 2011 as well, and Mr. Kumar being rumoured as the front runners. Though it was earlier reported that the CPI would not give ticket to two-time legislators, the party is learnt to have relaxed the norm to allow one more term to them. This was what increased the probability of Mr. Vijayan’s candidature.
A former district secretary of the CPI, Mr. Vijayan is considered to be an amiable and approachable politician.
The names of All India Youth Federation leader P. Gavas and National Federation of Indian Women functionary P. Vasantham too are doing the rounds as probable candidates.
Mr. Kumar, one of the general secretaries of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, meanwhile, had been active in the socio-political sphere of Nadapuram even after his defeat last time.
No other name seems to have figured on the United Democratic Front candidate list. K.P. Vijayalakshmi, K.K. Ranjith, and N.B. Gopinath are in the candidate list of the National Democratic Alliance.
