Ernakulam: Communist Party of India (Marxist),or CPM , on Saturday became the first of the three major parties in Kerala to announce their poll candidates. The other two, Congress and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), in opposition, is expected to announce their candidates early next week.

The list announced by party state chief Kodiyeri Balakrishnan features mostly local leaders, including six sitting MPs, four MLAs and two district secretaries.

Significantly, P. Jayarajan, a popular leader from Kannur who is currently under investigation for a political murder by the Central Bureau of Investigation, also features in the list to be fielded from Vadakara constituency. The move surely will become an ammunition for the opposition to attack the Left in the coming days.

The party's face in Kerala and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was keen to field several of the strong local faces in a bid to outweigh its rivals on propaganda wars, Mint had reported last week.

Being in a decline in rest of the country try, the 16 of the 20 seats it is contesting in Kerala will jockey a significant part in the party's strength in next Lok Sabha. Its second biggest partner in power, Communist Party of India (CPI) had earlier declared candidates to the rest four seats.

But, it faces considerable incumbency against the state government over matters like flood management last year and for its activist positioning in matters like Sabarimala controversy.

But in its favour, Kerala has never elected a BJP MP and is betting on a consolidation of lower caste Hindu votes and minority Christian and Muslim votes.

The full list of candidates:

Kollam: K N Balagopal

Pathanamthitta: Veena George

Ernakulam: P Rajeeve

Kottayam: EM Vasavan

Idukki: Joyce George

Alappuzha: AA Arif

Chalakkudy: Innocent

Alathur: PK Biju

Palakkad: M B Rajesh

Ponnani: P V Anwar

Malappuram: V P Sanu

Kozhikode: Pradeep Kumar

Kannur: P I k Sreemathi

Vadakara: P Jayarajan

Kasargod: K P Satheesh Kumar

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