Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI’s Kerala unit sprang a surprise here on Monday by recommending four names for Lok Sabha seats the party is contesting and dropping the sitting member of parliament.
C.N. Jayadevan, winner of Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in 2014, was dumped by the party, which went on to add the names of two sitting legislators — C. Divakaran (Thiruvananthapuram) and Chittayam Gopakumar (Mavelikera) — have been added to the list.
Rajaji Mathew Thomas, a former legislator, has been asked to contest from Thrissur while P.P. Suneer will contest for the Wayanad seat.
Speaking to the media, Divakaran, a former State Minister, said the state council has cleared his name and now the national executive will take a decision.
“If it’s cleared then I will contest and win,” said Divakaran.
Incidentally, Divakaran will be taking on two-time Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor.
The national executive will meet in Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday to take a final decision, said Thomas.
The CPI is the second biggest ally of the ruling left government in Kerala.
