With the political climate in Kerala getting hotter with a changed alliance equations, both the ruling Left front and the opposition UDF are gearing up for the local body polls due in a couple of months.
While the Congress-led UDF is trying to energise the poll machinery from the local levels, the key strategy of the LDF will be to field youngsters and independents whose appeal goes beyond party lines.
UDF meets from November 4
The UDF has decided to get down to preparations for the forthcoming local body poll in a big way.
The state leadership has convened the district UDF leadership meetings from November 4 to November 10 to discuss issues related to the local body poll. High priority is being attached to these meetings which would be attended by top UDF leaders including opposition leaders in the State Assembly.
The meetings to be held in Kasaragod on November 4 at 10 am and at 3 pm in Kannur on the same day will mark the beginning of the poll preparations of UDF. The UDF district committee meetings will be held between October 20 and 25.
The leaders of the UDF constituent parties will meet in Kochi on September 23 to discuss seat-sharing formula.
UDF convenor M M Hassan said that the UDF election machinery will be geared up from assembly constituency and division level.
Betrayal day on November 1
The UDF has decided to observe November 1, Kerala Formation Day as betrayal day against the Pinarayi Government. This is part of their current "Speak up Kerala" agitation.
The workers will observe satyagraha in each ward from 11 am onwards on November 1. Each ward will have 10 satyagrahis. Over 2 lakh workers are expected to take part in the agitation across 20,000 wards in the state.
The UDF meeting urged the state government to grant financial assistance to the poor families where Covid deaths had taken place. The UDF convenor asked the government to convene a meeting of health experts and representatives of political parties to discuss Covid prevention activities.
The UDF leadership asked the state government to shelve the non-feasible high-speed rail project and implement the SubUrban Railway project which was jointly conceived by the Kerala Government and the Indian railways.
KM Mani’s son-in-law ready to contest from Pala
Kottayam: The Kerala Congress (M) faction led by Jose K Mani did not make the right move by deciding to align with the Left Democratic Front (LDF), KM Mani's son-in-law M P Joseph has said.
Joseph, the husband of Mani’s daughter Sally, is the former state labour commissioner.
“If the Congress instructs, I will contest from Pala,” he added.
“Both the CPM and LDF had launched personal attacks on KM Mani. There are several problems in the country that need to be addressed at the national level. Only Congress can rescue India from all that. Therefore, it is wrong to move away from a front led by the Congress during such a time," Joseph explained.
Though the Kerala Congress (M) faction is set to be aligned with the Left, it is unlikely to get the votes, he added.
CPM to give priority for youth
With the crucial local body poll slated to be held in a couple of months, the ruling CPM has decided to give priority to youth and people with wider acceptance while deciding candidates for the polls.
The CPM state committee has directed the lower units of the party to look for independent people with a good track record, public support at the local level. Such names should be discussed beyond political considerations.
With the state committee’s direction in place, the party units have begun the first round of candidate selection process in their respective areas. The district committee members in each ward, area committee member, elected representative of the ward will conduct preliminary discussions on the candidates for grama, block panchayat.
The recommendations emerging from these discussions will be placed before the party units concerned. The candidates for district panchayat and corporations would be decided directly under the supervision of district committees.
People who have carried out exemplary work as COVID volunteers will also be considered for the candidature in local body poll this time around. Asha workers will receive priority. The party leadership has directed the lower units to look for youthful candidates to the maximum extent.
Those who have contested for two consecutive times will be avoided this time. The exemption will be granted only with the sanction of the district committee.
Local and area secretaries of the party should not be fielded in the polls. However, the district committees can make changes in this norm.
LDF candidate selection criteria
• Tainted persons, those facing any type of charges, accused in cases should not be made candidates.
• The main criteria is the winnability factor
• Only those who are prepared to work full time as local body representative should be considered
• Discourage those working in cooperative banks and other places from contesting the polls. They should be prepared to take leave for five years if they want to become candidates for local body
• Women may be fielded in general wards
Seat sharing talks with Jose K Mani
The CPM state committee has directed the district committees to conduct seat-sharing talks factoring in the induction of Jose K Mani's Kerala Congress (M) in ruling LDF. The Jose faction should be considered while taking decisions in the local body where they have elected representatives at the moment.
With four more parties having been inducted into the LDF, the CPM will have to spare its own seats to accommodate them in the local body poll.
The CPI and other constituents should also be asked to cooperate in seat sharing. The lower units have been asked to be prepared for any compromise in seat-sharing in the wake of more parties becoming part of the LDF compared to 2015 polls.