Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the CPM candidate list for the Kerala Legislative Assembly polls is set to be announced at 11am on Wednesday, protests against the prospective candidates have unnerved the party leadership. Resignations of office-bearers at the local level and poster campaigns across the streets in villages and towns are being reported from across Kerala.
Ten cadres have tendered their resignations from the Ponnani and Veliyancode town committees in Malappuram district. Five party workers had resigned from the Eramangalam local committee the other day. Though efforts have begun to pacify the protesters, the cadres have taken to the streets to express their ire, stunning the leadership.
Such is the spread and vigour of the spontaneous protests that party cadres and leaders at various levels are no longer upbeat about the party's prospects in the state election. Many concur that the LDF is set to pay the price for the flawed candidate selection and liberal allotment of seats to the Kerala Congress (Mani).
Criticisms were raised during the block committee meet which reported the state committee decision to make P Nandakumar the candidate in Ponnani. Majority of those who took part in the meet demanded that T M Siddique should be made the candidate, but it was rejected.
In Alappuzha, a CPM leader, who had been the Thanneermukkom panchayat member five times and the panchayat president last year, became the NDA candidate in Cherthala. BDJS president Thushar Vellappally declared Maruthorvattom local committee member P S Jyothis as the candidate in Cherthala.
In Palakkad, protests erupted in eight local committees over declaring former district panchayat president K Shanthakumari as the candidate in the Kongad constituency.
The dispute over picking K R Jayananda as the candidate in Manjeswaram could not be resolved in Tuesday's mandalam committee meet either.
Posters of 'Save Communism' were put up against the Malampuzha candidate A Prabhakaran. Also, a poster campaign is being held against P P Chitharanjan in Alappuzha. Posters were also put up against P Rajeev in Kalamassery, portraying him as the patron of area secretary Zakir Hussain, who faced disciplinary action after being arraigned as accused in several cases.
Protests over giving up Ranni
Objections continue to be raised over the CPM giving up on the Ranni and Kuttiadi seats for the Kerala Congress (Mani). All the 19 local committees in the Ranni block voiced their protests. Members staged a walkout in two committees and a demonstration was held at one place.
