THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF has shown a marked preference to the independents while the UDF has been averse to them. Though actor Siddique was considered initially, he was dropped due to the opposition from the partymen. But Jagadeesh aka P. V. Jagadeesh Kumar with a Congress background managed to get in.
The renowned independents backed by the Left included Dr. A. R. Menon, Joseph Mundassery, Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer (all three in the first 1957 EMS ministry), Prof. M. K. Sanu, Prof. O. N. V. Kurup, actor Murali, Lenin Rajendran, Sebastian Paul, Kadamanitta, K. T. Jaleel, P. T. A. Rahim, Alphonse Kannanthanam and Innocent.
Former secretary to the President and ex-bureaucrat Christy Fernandez was defeated in Ernakulam in the last Lok Sabha election. However, Joyce George, legal adviser to the High Range Protection Council in Idukki came up trumps in the Lok Sabha election in 2014.
Congress leader V. Abdu Rahman contested as an independent with the backing of CPM in 2014 from the Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency where he tasted defeat at the hands of Muslim League leader E. T. Mohammed Basheer.
The CPM has this time fielded two TV news anchors, M.V. Nikesh Kumar and Veena George. Nikesh Kumar is the son of the late M.V. Raghavan, who was expelled from the CPM and who formed his own party, CMP.
The CPI had put up Mr Bennet Abraham in Thirivananthapuram in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He is the director of Dr. Somervell Memorial Medical College at Karakkonam, run by the South Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India.
Two time MLA K. T. Jaleel, contesting from Thavanur, told DC, “Thavanur is a fertile area for the Left and I have never faced any objections from the voters.” The Congress had fielded writer Sukumar Azhikode from Thalassery in the 1962 Lok Sabha election.
