Rajesh frontrunner for Palakkad
The CPM is also banking on the performance of Rajesh within and outside Parliament.
Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM has a criterion of two terms for its members of Parliament and by that standard sitting MP M.B. Rajesh will have to pave the way for a new candidate.
But given the political situation in the state and the dire need for raising the number of Left MPs in Parliament, the party is likely to give weightage to winnability factor and acceptance among voters. Many in Palakkad believe that Rajesh on the strength of his performance within and outside Parliament deserves a third chance.
The Left believes the revival of Congress in North and Rahul Gandhi's emergence as a challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may not have much impact in a Left stronghold like Palakkad. Of the seven Assembly constituencies, the LDF currently represents Kongad, Malampuzha, Ottapalam, Shoranur and Pattambi while the UDF Mannarkkad and Palakkad.
The LDF leadership claims that the BJP which wants to exploit Sabarimala issue electorally, may not succeed. Instead, the violence let loose by Sangh Parivar during their hartal created ill will among the people.
Moreover, the infighting and poor governance in the lone BJP-ruled Palakkad municipality has exposed its administrative failure.
The CPM is also banking on the performance of Rajesh within and outside Parliament.
"I took up the issue of Palakkad IIT in Parliament at least a dozen times and met Narendra Modi and Union HRD Ministers personally. It was mainly because of our strong intervention that the closure of Instrumentation Ltd was prevented and subsequently the PSU was taken over by state government. Similarly the Centre's plan for disinvestment of BEML was stalled," Rajesh told DC.
He said in the social and health sector the constituency had witnessed lot of work.
Dialysis units, cancer detection centre and open gymnasiums are some of the projects that were implemented in the last five years. With in Parliament he raised state's demands besides other issues like Net Neutrality and naming Chandigarh airport after Sheed Bhagat Singh.
"Whoever may be the candidate, the LDF will retain the seat with a big majority," Rajesh summed up.