Kozhikode: Ahead of the assembly election in a few months, two major political groups in Kerala have commenced the process of sharing the 140 constituencies before short-listing the candidates. In Kozhikode district the leading parties in the United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front are keen on swapping a few seats with their allies. The minor parties in the front are reportedly facing pressure to give up a few seats in the district.
CPI, CPM barter?
CPM has proposed exchanging with its ally CPI two seats: Nadapuram and Balussery. CPI has been contesting from Nadapuram, whereas the latter is with the CPM.
CPM is reportedly trying to impress upon the CPI that Balussery is a safer bet than Nadapuram as it is a reserved seat. It has also pointed out to the CPI district leadership that it already has enough good candidates for Balussery.
Latest reports indicate the CPI is refusing to take the bait. A section of the party is unwilling to give up on a constituency which it currently represents in the 14th Kerala Assembly. Mostly CPI candidates had won from here in the state elections since 1957.
Two parties eye Thiruvambady
In the UDF, both the Congress and the Kerala Congress (Joseph) are reportedly eyeing the Thiruvambady seat currently represented by the CPM in the assembly.
The UDF had allotted the seat to the Indian Union Muslim League or IUML in the last polls as the party had won from here in the 2011 election. IUML won't mind parting with Thiruvambady in the ensuing election in a bid to mollify the Christian community which is reportedly sore about the party's growing prominence in the Congress-led front.
Thiruvambady has a sizeable presence of Christians as well as Muslims.
Will CPM take over Elathur?
Elathur, a constituency that came into being during the 2011 delimitation, is a stronghold of the Left front, particularly the CPM. A section of the party wants it to take over the seat from the NCP, which has been winning from here since the 2011 state election. Its candidate and minister AK Saseendran is the two-time MLA of Elathur.
Elathur came into NCP kitty as it was allotted by the LDF in place of Balussery after the latter was declared a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Caste category.
Saseendran had won from Balussery as an NCP candidate in the 2006 election. In the subsequent elections in 2011 and 2016, CPM candidate Purushan Kadalundi was the winner.
Another exchange?
In the 2016 election the League and the Congress had swapped the Balussery and Kunnamangalam constituencies. The former wants to relinquish Balussery for some other seat. Moreover, it would be pleased to get back Kunnamangalam from Congress.
PTA Rahim, an Independent backed by the LDF, has been the winner from Kunnamangalam in the last two polls.
Three vacancies in UDF
Congress and the Muslim League have already evinced interest in contesting from the three seats that were given to the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and the Kerala Congress (Mani).
The LJD had contested from Vadakara and Elathur and the Kerala Congress (Mani) from Perambra in the 2016 polls. Both these parties had quit the UDF subsequently.
Vadakara could be handed over to the RMP if KK Rama decides to contest as part of the UDF. Congress likes to field its candidate from Perambra and Elathur, though Muslim League has also expressed interest.