Abdul Rasheed to face Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadam; Congress to release first list of candidates soon

NEW DELHI: VP Abdul Rasheed is likely to be the Congress candidate against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadam. Although it was planned to field Rasheed in Taliparamba, the contest was shifted to Dharmadam, considering the possibility of Congress supporting TK Govindan in the red bastion. Abdul Rasheed is a KPCC member and Youth Congress state secretary.

Abdul Rasheed contested against MV Govindan in the last election. He was able to reduce the CPM's majority, which was close to 40,000 in the previous election, to 22,000.

Meanwhile, amid the controversy, it is reported that the first phase of the Congress list will be announced soon. Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking the mandate for the third time in Dharmadam. Pinarayi Vijayan's road show, which kicks off the election campaign in Dharmadam, will be held today. The road show will start from Mattanur Airport to Pinarayi at 3.30 pm. This is the first time the Chief Minister is visiting the constituency after the election announcement.