All three major fronts finalise candidates for 140 Kerala seats

Kerala's assembly election candidates are finalized, with LDF, UDF, and NDA competing in all 140 constituencies. Polls are set for April 9.

With Monday marking the last day of filing of nominations in the Kerala assembly elections, the state’s poll picture became clear on Sunday as the three major fronts finalised their candidates for all the 140 constituencies.

All three major fronts finalise candidates for 140 Kerala seats

In the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will have 75 candidates fighting on its poll symbol of hammer-sickle-star, followed by the Communist Party of India with 24 candidates and Kerala Congress (M) with 12 nominees.

While Left-backed Independents have been fielded in 14 seats, smaller parties include Indian Socialist Janata Dal (3), NCP(SP) (3), RJD (3), INL (2) and one each for Congress (S), Kerala Congress (B) and RSP(L).

Prominent candidates of the LDF include CPI(M)’s Pinarayi Vijayan (Dharmadam), KK Shailaja (Peravoor), PA Mohammed Riyas (Beypore), P Rajeev (Kalamassery), KN Balagopal (Kottarakkara), CPI’s K Rajan (Ollur), P Prasad (Cherthala), KC(M)’s Jose K Mani (Pala), Roshy Augustine (Idukki) and ISJD’s Mathew T Thomas (Thiruvalla).

Within the UDF, Congress will contest the largest number of seats (92) while it offered support to Independents in three others. Other allies in the UDF are IUML in 27 seats, Kerala Congress (J) in 8 seats, RSP in 4 seats and one seat each for Mani C Kappen of KDP, PV Anvar of Trinamool Congress, RMP, CMP and Kerala Congress (Jacob).

The NDA is composed of three parties --- BJP with its candidates in 99 seats, BDJS in 22 seats and Twenty-20 in 19 seats.

Major NDA contenders in this election include BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Nemom), V Muraleedharan (Kazhakuttam), Sobha Surendran (Palakkad) and Twenty20’s Babu Divakaran (Kunnathunad).

Kerala goes to the polls on April 9.