Jose K Mani announces first candidate of LDF, unexpected move during Vikasana Munnetta Yathra

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Congress (M) Chairman Jose K. Mani has officially declared Roshi Augustine as the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) candidate for the upcoming assembly elections, marking the first such announcement for the coalition.

The declaration was made in Kattappana during the concluding ceremony of the Vikasana Munnetta Yathra, led by Roshi Augustine. Endorsing the incumbent, Jose K. Mani hailed Augustine as the "development hero" of Idukki, asserting that there is no viable alternative to his candidacy in the constituency.

While political circles had widely anticipated that Roshi Augustine would seek re-election, the timing of the announcement has drawn attention, as it precedes the formal seat-sharing and candidate finalisation discussions within the LDF leadership.

Beyond the Idukki constituency, Jose K. Mani signaled a policy of continuity for the party, confirming that all current Kerala Congress (M) MLAs are expected to contest from their existing constituencies.

Roshi Augustine, a fixture in the region's politics for over two decades, is now vying for a sixth consecutive term. In the 2021 assembly elections, he secured his seat by defeating United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate K. Francis George with a margin of 5,573 votes.