THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front is gearing up for the assembly election by completing the seat division process. The CPM will announce the majority of the candidates for the 85 seats they are contesting on Wednesday.

The CPI (M) had yesterday officially announced its candidates for 21 seats, ringing the first bell for the Assembly election campaign. The Janata Dal (S) central leadership has approved the list of candidates for the four seats contested by the party. The decision on the remaining four seats of the CPI will be taken today. With the submission of nomination papers set to begin on Friday, the Left Front has already stepped ahead in the election contest.

Meanwhile, the discussions regarding the Congress candidates are progressing in Delhi. Attempts are underway to reduce the panels which consist of five or six names for each constituency. In the meantime, the remaining seat-sharing with the Muslim League and the Kerala Congress-Joseph factions should be settled through telephone talks. Congress is planning to announce
its candidates either on Thursday or Friday.

The BJP candidates will be announced on the 12th. The crucial core committee meeting will be held on the 11th. The BDJS, which has been allotted 30 seats in the NDA, has announced six candidates in the first phase. The CPM, which had contested in 92 seats last time, will contest only in 85 seats, leaving seven seats to new allies. The CPI, which had earlier contested in 27 seats, had to settle for 25.

While the Kerala Congress(M) was given 13 seats, the CPM and Janata Dal(S) gave away three seats to the Lok Tantric Janata Dal, which had returned from the UDF. The JDS, which contested in five seats last time, was reduced to four while the INL and the Democratic Kerala Congress have to get satisfied with three and one seats respectively. Kerala Congress(B), Congress(S) and
RSP-Leninist party, which cooperates from outside, will contest in one seat each. The Kerala Congress (Skaria Thomas) faction, which contested in Kaduthuruthy last time, has no seats this time.

CPM rejects public protest

The CPM will reject the public protests in Ponnani against the agreed candidate in the CPM state secretariat and in Kuttyadi against the handing over of the seat to the Kerala Congress. In Ponnani, the mandalam committee meeting held yesterday gave a green signal to field P Nandakumar. The meeting was convened in the presence of senior leader Paloli Mohammed Kutty. An inquiry may be held into the public protest. Jayananda's name may not change in Manjeshwaram.

The NCP has finalised its candidates for the three seats. The Lok Tantric Janata Dal and the Kerala Congress-M will announce the candidates today. In UDF, the Kerala Congress Joseph will be given Kanhangad as the 10th seat in addition to the 9 seats. It has been decided to give Koothuparamba and Perambra to the Muslim League in addition to its 24 seats. An agreement will be reached today or tomorrow to replace Pattambi with another seat.