THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three days after the Left Front started the election campaign with the candidates, the Congress is engulfed in protests that started even before the announcement of the candidates. There are five days left for the submission of nomination papers. There are 24 days left to voting day. Left candidates will actively file nominations from tomorrow. The occasional murmur about the candidates announced by the Left Front has almost subsided. The conflict in Kuttiyadi, however, is still smoldering, albeit slightly. The CPM will hold a political briefing there today to remedy the situation. The announcement of the Kerala Congress-M candidate will take place after that. When the CPI announced its candidate for Chadayamangalam yesterday, there were protests.

Will Oommen Chandy come to Nemom?

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership has said that the list of candidates will be released in Delhi this morning. But there are indications that uncertainty still persists. Everyone is watching Nemom closely. The rumor that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will come to Nemom was given more weight yesterday. Although there were news said that he would contest in Puthuppally and Nemom, in the evening he himself announced that he would not contest in two places. There are indications that he informed the High Command yesterday of his readiness to contest in Nemom. But it is doubtful whether his reactions yesterday prompted a reconsideration. There were dramatic protests against his move from Puthuppally. Oommen Chandy, who arrived in the capital in the evening, made it clear that the uncertainty over Nemom would end soon.

Despite Mullappally announcing that an agreement has been reached on the candidature of candidates in 81 constituencies, protests by Congress workers across the state continued unabated yesterday. Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala returned to Kerala yesterday to appease the protesting activists. But in many places there are emotional protests that cannot be cooled down by the intervention of leaders. DCC President Bindu Krishna's bursting into tears went viral on social media yesterday. Protests are also taking place in many places, DCCs and constituency committees. With the announcement of the candidates today, the tone of the protest maybe even louder. There are protests against the handing over of Kasargod to the constituent part in Thrikkarippur and the candidate in Uduma. Protests also took place over giving Malampuzha to a constituent party.

Leaders are also dissatisfied with the continuing uncertainty in the nomination process.