PONNANI: A day after party workers, including women, staged a protest over the party candidate in Ponnani, demands were raised in the CPM mandalam committee to field TM Siddique as the candidate. However, the mandalam committee meeting did not take a final decision on the matter. Senior leader Paloli Mohammed Kutty suggested leaving the decision to the state leadership. With the meeting approving the suggestion, P Nandakumar is likely to become the candidate.

Both Nandakumar and Siddique were present at the meeting. The meeting, which was supposed to be held at the CPM area committee office, took place at Maranchery local secretary VV Suresh's house. The meeting was shifted to Suresh's house following indications that there would be protests at the party office.

Ponnani sitting MLA P Sreeramakrishnan was denied the seat after CPM decided not to give seats to those who have contested twice in a row. However, CPM activists and local leaders in Ponnani came out and demanded that the TM Siddique should be made the candidate instead of Nandakumar.