Actor Mukesh will not contest; three candidates including minister will get another chance, CPM's plans for Kollam

KOLLAM: CPM to field three sitting MLAs including a minister in the assembly elections in Kollam. The party district secretariat has decided to field Finance Minister KN Balagopal in Kottarakkara, M Noushad in Iravipuram and Sujith Vijayan Pillai in Chavara again. The state committee will be informed about this. However, actor M Mukesh, who won twice from Kollam, will not be considered this time.

The party is planning to field district secretariat member S. L. Sajikumar from Kundara, which the party lost last time. P.C. Vishnunath, who defeated sitting MLA Minister J. Mercykutty Amma, will contest as the UDF candidate this time too. Meanwhile, no final decision has been made on who will be fielded in place of Mukesh in Kollam. Chinta Jerome's name is being heard, but the district committee is opposed. The district secretariat has recommended acting secretary S. Jayamohan.

In Kollam, a CPM stronghold, the UDF had made great strides, including in the local elections. This was the first time in the history of the Kollam municipality that the CPM had been defeated. Therefore, the party has decided to proceed with caution in the assembly elections and complete the selection of candidates carefully. In 2021, the LDF won nine out of the 11 constituencies in the district.