Kerala Assembly polls: CPI fields four incumbent ministers among 25 candidates

Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links. Four ministers of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government are among the 25 candidates announced by the Communist Party of India (CPI) for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election. CPI’s Kerala state secretary Binoy Viswam, on Sunday, March 15, announced the candidate list shortly after the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the schedule for the Assembly elections, making CPI the first political party in the state to release a complete list of candidates. The party has renominated four ministers for another term: J Chinchu Rani (Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy), K Rajan (Minister for Revenue and Housing), GR Anil (Minister for Food and Civil Supplies), and P Prasad (Minister for Agriculture). All four of them will contest from their respective sitting constituencies: Ollur, Nedumangad, Cherthala, and Chadayamangalam. Among the 25 candidates, five are women. The party has given an exemption to K Rajan from its two- term rule while dropping six MLAs who have already completed two terms in the Assembly. Those excluded include senior leaders such as E Chandrasekharan, EK Vijayan, and Chittayam GopakumarMeanwhile, the party has fielded Kaipamamgalam MLA ET Taison from Paravoor, the sitting constituency of VD Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition, who is also expected to contest from the same seat this time.The CPI is the second-largest ally of the LDF. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party contested in 23 seats and won in 17.The full list of candidates KasargodKanhangad: Govindan PallikappilKozhikodeNadapuram: P VasanthamMalappuramTirur: Ajith KoladiManjeri: PK Mustafa (CPI independent)Ernad: Shafeer KizhisseryPalakkadMannarkkad: Manzil Becker (CPI independent)Pattambi: Mohammed MuhasinThrissurNattika: Geetha GopiThrissur: Alankode Leelakrishnan Kaipamangalam: KK ValsarajKodungallur: VR Sunil KumarErnakulamMuvattupuzha: N ArunKottayamVaikom: P PradeepIdukkiPeermade: K Salim KumarPathanamthittaAdoor: Priji KannanAlappuzhaHaripad: TT JismonKollamKarunagapally: MS TharaPunalur: AjayaprasadChathannoor: R RajendranThiruvananthapuramChirayinkeezhu: Manoj Idamana

Mar 15, 2026 - 12:50

Mar 15, 2026 - 14:03

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Kerala Assembly polls: CPI fields four incumbent ministers among 25 candidates

Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.

FOUR ministers of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government are among the 25 candidates announced by the Communist Party of India (CPI) for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election.

CPI’s Kerala state secretary Binoy Viswam, on Sunday, March 15, announced the candidate list shortly after the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the schedule for the Assembly elections, making CPI the first political party in the state to release a complete list of candidates.

The party has renominated four ministers for another term: J Chinchu Rani (Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy), K Rajan (Minister for Revenue and Housing), GR Anil (Minister for Food and Civil Supplies), and P Prasad (Minister for Agriculture).

All four of them will contest from their respective sitting constituencies: Ollur, Nedumangad, Cherthala, and Chadayamangalam.

Among the 25 candidates, five are women.

The party has given an exemption to K Rajan from its two- term rule while dropping six MLAs who have already completed two terms in the Assembly.

Those excluded include senior leaders such as E Chandrasekharan, EK Vijayan, and Chittayam Gopakumar

Meanwhile, the party has fielded Kaipamamgalam MLA ET Taison from Paravoor, the sitting constituency of VD Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition, who is also expected to contest from the same seat this time.

The CPI is the second-largest ally of the LDF. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the party contested in 23 seats and won in 17.

The full list of candidates

Kasaragod

Kanhangad: Govindan Pallikappil

Kozhikode

Nadapuram: P Vasantham

Malappuram

Tirur: Ajith Koladi

Manjeri: PK Mustafa (CPI independent)

Ernad: Shafeer Kizhissery

Palakkad

Mannarkkad: Manzil Becker (CPI independent)