CPM Set to Announce Candidate for Puthupally By-Election

CPM is poised to reveal its candidate for the Puthupally by-election, with expectations pointing towards Jake,  member of the CPM district committee, taking the leftist stance. Among three potential contenders considered by the district committee, namely Raji Zakaria and K M Radhakrishnan, Jake has emerged as the favored choice. A decision will be reached following the CPM state secretariat meeting ,with the official announcement scheduled by the Puthupally constituency committee and the district committee.

Throughout the deliberation process, Jake’s candidacy has been in contention. Given the time constraints and Jake’s prior experience challenging Oommen Chandy twice in the constituency, the district committee has given priority to Jake. His standing is also elevated within local committees. The names of both Jake and Raji Zakaria were discussed during a recent meeting of booth secretaries.

Previously, the CPM state secretariat had advised Jake, who managed to significantly reduce Oommen Chandy’s lead by around 9,000 votes in the previous election, to focus on Manarkad. It’s noteworthy that Jake follows the Jacobite faith.

Attempts by Nibu John, a close associate of Oommen Chandy and a Congress district panchayat member, to influence the LDF candidate proved unsuccessful. This unexpected turn of events posed a challenge in finding an alternative candidate. Following Oommen Chandy’s demise, Nibu, who had been at odds with him, chose to abstain from a Congress meeting in Puthupally for people’s representatives. This led to a stronger push for an independent candidacy from the left.

However, the local CPM unit in Puthupally opposed this idea. The situation took a different turn when rumors circulated that Nibu was being considered by the CPM as a candidate against Chandy Oommen. In response, senior Congress leaders intervened on Wednesday night and persuaded Nibu to reconsider.