Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader V K Madhu who was Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat vice president for the past five years is not in the electoral fray this time. His name is being discussed in party circles among the list of probable candidates for the next Assembly elections to be held sometime in April 2021.

The district panchayat president post is also reserved for members of the Scheduled Castes community this time.

Former Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor K Sreekumar is in electoral fray this time even though the post is reserved for women this time.

Former Kollam Mayor V Rajendra Babu will not contest the elections. He is being considered for Assembly polls. Honey Benjamin of CPI who was Mayor for one year term will be contesting from the party's sitting seat.

C Radhmony of CPM and K Jagadamma of CPI who were Kollam district panchayat presidents for a term of two and half years each will not be contesting the elections. Both have held elected posts in local bodies even earlier hence they have been excluded.

G Venugopal, former district president of Alappuzha, was not considered by CPM since he had contested two consecutive elections.

Sebastian Kulathunkal, who was Kottayam district panchayat president, is not contesting the polls this time. The district panchayat president's post was at the centre of serious differences between Kerala Congress P J Joseph and Jose K Mani factions. Kanjirapally from where he contested in 2015 is reserved for women now. There are rumours that Kulathunkal might be fielded as Kerala Congress (M) candidate from Poonjar seat in the forthcoming Assembly polls.

Former Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain is also out of poll fray. She has informed her unavailability to party. Jain might try for an Assembly seat. Moreover, the post of Mayor in Kochi is open for general category this time. Similarly former district panchayat president of Ernakulam Dolly Kuriakose will not contest the polls. At the time Asha Sanal, who was president for the first two years, was in the electoral fray. The district panchayat president's post is reserved for general category.

Former Mayor of Thrissur Corporation Ajitha Jayarajan and former district panchayat president of Thrissur, Mary Thomas are not contesting. Ajitha had made it clear that she would not be in the electoral fray. The reason for denying a seat to Mary Thomas is not clear yet. She had contested unsuccessfully against Congress candidate Anil Akkara in Wadakancherry in 2016. There is still no indication whether Mary Thomas will get a ticket.

Former Palakkad district panchayat president K Shantha Kumari of the CPM is not in electoral fray. She has been elected representative of the district for three terms. However, she is likely to be considered for Assembly polls.

Former Mayor of Kozhikode Thottathil Raveendran and former Kozhikode district panchayat president Babu Peralassery will not contest. Both the posts are reserved for women this time.

E P Latha (CPM), Suma Balakrishnan (Congress) and C Zeenath (Muslim League) who held the post of Kannur Mayor during the last five years are not in the poll arena. Suma had made it clear that she was not contesting. Zeenath pulled out as she had contested three times. Latha's name did not figure in CPM list.

Former district panchayat president of Kannur K V Sumesh is not contesting. He might be considered for Assembly elections.

Former district panchayat president of Kasaragod A G C Basheer of Muslim League is not contesting. Basheer had already announced that he would not be in the electoral fray complying with the party norm that those who have won more than three times should stay out.

No tea, snacks and handshake

The political parties have cautioned their candidates and directed them to take extra care to avoid becoming COVID positive during the course of campaign.

The Congress has asked its candidates to refrain from shaking hands with voters while visiting their houses. The persons accompanying the candidates on campaign should also be extra vigilant.

The CPM has directed that only three persons including should go for campaign. The party has asked the workers to use gloves while handing over pamphlets, handbills and posters to the voters.

BJP has stressed on maintaining social distancing norms while carrying out the campaign and limiting the number of people in each squad. Most candidates, irrespective of political parties, have already started avoiding tea or snacks during house to house campaign.