Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) from Kollam NK Premachandran has been announced as the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF)'s candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Kollam constituency in Kerala. RSP state secretary Shibu Baby John announced his name on Sunday, February 18. RSP is a coalition partner of the Congress.
A week ago, Premachandran’s lunch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi became a talking point in Kerala and the leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] alleged a nexus between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the UDF. Senior Communist leader and convenor of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, EP Jayarajan, said that the understanding between the UDF and the BJP was evident from the gesture of Premachandran attending a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister. CPI(M) handles on social media alleged that Premachandran was on his way to join the BJP.
Responding to the criticism, Premachandran had told the media that the invitation was a surprise and no politics was discussed in the lunch meeting.
The four-term MP from Kollam is contesting the Lok Sabha election for the third time in a row. He has won from Kollam in 1996, 1998, 2014 and 2019. He was a minister in the 2006-11 VS Achuthananandan government when RSP was a part of the LDF. However, the party split ways with the LDF and joined the UDF in 2014. Five years later, he once again won the Kollam Lok Sabha seat, with a record margin of 1.5 lakh votes. Premachandran has also served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha.
According to reports, the CPI(M) is considering fielding actor and Kollam Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mukesh from the Kollam Lok Sabha seat.