Leading political fronts in Kozhikode district have reportedly begun deliberations to choose candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and a clear picture is expected in the coming weeks.
The district has two Lok Sabha seats – Kozhikode and Vadakara – and the Thiruvambady Assembly segment is part of the Wayanad constituency.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) is all set to give another chance to incumbent MP and Congress leader M.K. Raghavan in Kozhikode, which he has been representing since 2009. During the reception given to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s ‘Samaragni’ protest march on Kozhikode beach recently, KPCC president K. Sudhakaran gave enough indications in this regard. Mr. Sudhakaran also said that both the people and the party wanted Mr. Raghavan to contest from Kozhikode. In his speech, Mr. Raghavan too listed out the development projects he had brought to Kozhikode over the years, saying in so many words that he is game for another contest.
For Vadakara as well, the UDF’s first choice is the incumbent MP, K. Muraleedharan. He had contested the seat in 2019 while being an MLA from Vattiyoorkkavu in Thiruvananthapuram. Though Mr. Muraleedharan recently declared his intention to keep off from parliamentary politics, he is likely to change the stand if the party asks him to contest again.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF), which does not have an MP from both the seats after 2009, is making desperate efforts to field popular candidates who can swing votes in its favour. Though a majority of the Assembly constituencies in the district have LDF MLAs, the front has been unable to win the Lok Sabha seats from the district for quite some time. In Kozhikode, the LDF is considering the names of Elamaram Kareem, CPI(M) central committee member and Rajya Sabha MP, and V. Vaseef, Democratic Youth Federation of India State president. The party feels that while the former could attract votes from the minority communities, the latter will catch the attention of the youth. For Vadakara, former Health Minister and Mattannur MLA K.K. Shailaja has emerged as the top choice. The LDF hopes to cash in on her popularity that goes beyond party affiliations to wrest the seat from the UDF. Another possible candidate is A. Pradeepkumar, former MLA.
The National Democratic Alliance is likely to nominate senior BJP leaders in the district. Prominent names include party State vice-president and district in-charge Sobha Surendran, State general secretary M.T. Ramesh, district president V.K. Sajeevan, and Yuva Morcha State president Praful Krishnan.
Balussery, Elathur, Kozhikode South, Kozhikode North, Beypore, Kunnamangalam and Koduvally Assembly segments are part of the Kozhikode seat. Vadakara, Kuttiyadi, Nadapuram, Koyilandy and Perambra in Kozhikode district and Thalassery and Koothuparamba in Kannur district are part of the Vadakara seat.
