Kerala’s ruling LDF has announced Dr Jo Joseph, a heart specialist based in Ernakulam, as its candidate for the upcoming Thrikkakara bye-election scheduled to be held on May 31. Dr Jo Joseph is a heart specialist at the Lisie hospital in Kochi. The surprise announcement by LDF convener EP Jayarajan on Thursday, May 5, has put an end to rumours that the LDF was planning to field young leader KS Arun Kumar or Congress veteran KV Thomas in the constituency.
The Opposition UDF, led by the Congress party, had on May 3 announced Uma Thomas as its candidate. Uma is the wife of the late Congress leader PT Thomas, whose death had necessitated the need for a bye-election in the constituency. Thomas, who won from Thrikkakara in the 2021 Legislative Assembly elections, passed away in December last year.
The CPI(M)-headed LDF had stormed back to power in Kerala in 2021, after securing a brute majority of 99 seats in the 140-member Assembly. The results of the Thrikkakara bye-election, hence, will not pose any challenge to the ruling front. However, it would indicate the voters’ stance so far on the one-year-old second Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Earlier, speculations were rife that the CPI(M) will pick KS Arun Kumar, a district committee member of the party, as its candidate for the Thrikkakara seat. Following media reports of his possible candidature, the party workers had reportedly even started to paint compound walls seeking votes for the young leader, only for the party to intervene and put an end to the campaign. Similarly, rumours that the LDF may field Congress’ Thomas were also abound, especially in the wake of the senior leader’s notable criticism of his party ever since he was denied a ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Thomas, who has represented the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency multiple times in the past, had recently come under fire from the Congress after he attended a seminar organised by the CPI(M) during its party congress meet held in Kannur in April.
Meanwhile, former Congress leader PC Chacko claimed through a Facebook post on Thursday that Thomas will campaign for the LDF in the bye-poll. Chacko, who had quit the Congress party ahead of the Assembly polls in March in 2021, is currently the state president of the Nationalist Congress Party, an ally of the CPI(M).
The counting for the bye-poll will be held on June 3.