KOCHI: As the by-election date for five constituencies is nearing, all three major parties have been involved in discussions regarding their best candidates for the election. While UDF and BJP are yet to finalize their list of candidates, CPM has already come out with a final decision regarding its candidates. Earlier, CM Pinarayi Vijayan had instructed district leaderships to make sure that the party does not repeat its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha election earlier this year. Following this, the leadership came to the conclusion that fielding a younger generation of candidates can yield favourable results to the party.

It must be noted that all CPM candidates except Manjeshwaram candidate CH Kunhambu belong to the younger generation. While two candidates are the members of the DYFI state leadership, VK Prasanth, the candidate in Vattiyoorkkavu, is the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Meanwhile, it has popular advocate Manu Roy as its candidate in Ernakulam.

While CPM had faced many backlashes from Vattiyoorkavu in the past, it hopes to strike back by fielding in the highly popular VK Prasanth. Prasanth, who has great popularity in Thiruvananthapuram city, is believed to pose a severe threat to the UDF which is yet to make a final decision regarding its candidate.

While DYFI State Vice President Janeesh Kumar has been named as the candidate in Konni, Manu C Pullikkal, another Vice President of the DYFI, will contest from Aroor. It must be noted that Manu has received support from the party's heavyweights such as minister G Sudhakaran.

Though Jayananda, an influential figure in the Kannada region of Manjeshwaram, was initially in the race for Manjeshwaram seat, it was former MLA Kunhambu who won the final nod.