Thiruvananthapuram, March 4 (IANS) Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist enters a decisive phase this week as its State Secretariat and Committee convene on Thursday and Friday to finalise candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.

According to a senior party leader who spoke on condition of anonymity, the two-day deliberations will produce a draft list that will be forwarded to the 14 district committees for discussions at various organisational levels.

The feedback will then return to the State Committee for ratification, paving the way for an official announcement by state Secretary M.V. Govindan early next week.

Candidate selection, party sources said, follows a calibrated strategy balancing winnability, organisational discipline, and leadership renewal.

In constituencies considered a “sure shot” for the party, the CPI-M has largely adhered to a two-term norm to facilitate generational change.

This approach previously saw the induction of A. N. Shamseer from Thalassery, long regarded as the political bastion of former state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Speculation has swirled around senior leaders such as K.K. Shailaja, who has represented multiple sure-shot constituencies, and Shamseer, who has also completed two terms.

Party insiders indicate that while the two-term principle remains a broad guideline, exceptions could be made in constituencies where specific candidates significantly enhance victory prospects.

At the national level, the party’s Politburo has reportedly decided that only one member of the top body will contest the Kerala polls — Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

This effectively rules out other senior Politburo leaders, including A. Vijayaraghavan, whose name had surfaced in media discussions.

Notably absent from the emerging shortlist are several veteran figures, including leaders from Kannur such as M.V. Jayarajan, E.P.Jayarajan, and P. Jayarajan, as well as former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, signalling the party’s intent to recalibrate its electoral lineup.

Despite the churn, the leadership projects confidence.

Vijayan has publicly expressed optimism about securing a historic third consecutive term for the Left Democratic Front, while reiterating the party’s convention of not naming a chief ministerial candidate ahead of elections.

While last-minute changes cannot be entirely ruled out, party insiders suggest the probability of major alterations remains slim, setting the stage for what could be a closely watched generational transition within Kerala’s ruling party.

–IANS

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