Five Kerala Ministers who are part of the ruling CPI(M) may not contest in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state. According to reports, the CPI(M) party’s state Secretariat that met on Thursday discussed whether it would be prudent to make Finance Minister Dr Thomas Isaac, Minister for Public Works Department G Sudhakaran, General Education Minister C Ravindranath, Industries Minister EP Jayarajan and AK Balan who is the Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes and Law, to contest again.
The party had earlier stated that those MLAs who had won two consecutive terms will not be fielded in the upcoming Assembly polls. However, Thomas Isaac, G Sudhakaran and AK Balan were given exemption during the 2016 Assembly polls despite being elected to the Assembly three times in the past.
Dr Thomas Isaac is a four time MLA, who was previously elected to the state Assembly in 2006 and 2001 from Mararikulam constituency and in 2011 and 2016 from Alappuzha constituency. AK Balan, presently representing Tarur, is also a four time MLA -- previously being elected in 2001, 2006 and 2011. Balan was also elected to the Lok Sabha from Ottapalam constituency in 1980.
G Sudhakaran has been elected consecutively in 1996, 2006, 2011 and 2016. Both Sudhakaran and Isaac were ministers in the VS Achuthanandan led LDF government in 2006 to 2011.
EP Jayarajan, presently representing Mattannur constituency, was previously elected to Assembly in 1991 from Azheekodu and in 2011 from Mattannur. Jayarajan, hailing from Kannur, had informed the district Secretariat that he won’t be contesting the polls, according to reports. In 2016, EP Jayarajan had resigned as minister following controversies over allegations of nepotism. In 2018, he was reinducted back into the cabinet. There are also reports that Health Minister KK Shailaja will be fielded from Mattanur, which was EP Jayarajan’s constituency.
Meanwhile, C Ravindranath is a three time MLA from Pudukad. It is learned that Ravindranath had also conveyed to the party that he wouldn't be contesting but would concentrate on party work.
However, the candidature of Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma and three time MLA Aisha Potty has almost been confirmed. The Kollam District Secretariat had sought exemption for both of them.
This is the third time that Mercykutty Amma will be contesting in the assembly polls. The 65-year-old's first victory was in 1987 while she was elected for the second time in 1996. Aisha Potty won the elections consecutively for three times since 2006. The party's rule was exempted for her in the 2016 elections.
The Alappuzha District Secretariat had advocated for Isaac and Sudhakaran to be given exemption. It’s learnt that the party is of the view that if exemption is given to some leaders, it should be applicable to all others too. A final decision will be clear after the party state committee meeting to be held on Friday.
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