Keeping up its strategy to contest at least 90 of the 140 seats, big brother CPM has bullied minor partners in the Left Democratic Front and usurped almost 15 seats from them. In the 2001 Assembly polls the CPM contested 76 seats and CPI 24 seats. The remaining 40 seats were divided among the RSP, Kerala Congress (Joseph), NCP, Janata Dal etc. Taking advantage of the splits that have taken in several parties the CPM leadership imposed its will on the minor parties by announcing candidates for the seats earlier contested by its allies. This has led to resentment among parties like the Kerala Congress(J), the RSP etc. Out of the 10 seats contested by the KC(J) only 6 has been alloted to them. To add insult to injury an MLA P.C. George who was expelled by them has been given the Poonjar seat alloted to the KC(J) earlier. Also maverick I.A.S officer, Alphons Kannamthanam (a nominee of the church) has been alloted the Kanjirapally seat in Kottayam district, normally contested by the KC(J). Thus is the Christian dominated Kottayam district the KC(J) (a Christian party) has not been given a single seat. The KC(J) leader P.J. Joseph has alleged that there is a secret truck between CPM and Kerala Congress(M) leader KM Mani of the UDF to ensure KC(M)'svictory in Kottayam. Similarly the R.S.P has lost the prestigious Kollam seat to the CPM'sP.K. Gurudasan and has got only 6 of the 10 they contested in 2001. Similarly seats like Kaloopara, Kuttipuram etc. have been given to CPM backed independents like Cherian Philip and K.T Jaleel (A Muslim League leader who spoke against Kunjalikutty in the ice-cream parlour sex case and was expelled) K.J Jaleel is taking on Kunjalikutty in the IUML stronghold of Kuttipuram.
In all, the CPM and independents supporting it are contesting 91 seats leaving the rest to its allies. The only partner who has come unscathed is the CPI which was adamant in retaining its 24 seats.
Deviating from its earlier policy of alloting the seats to the partners and not interfering in the candidate selection, the CPM'sinstructions to the KC(J) and Janata Dal (S) to change its candidates in Thiruva-nanthapuram (West) and Kovalam have led to resentment among the parties.
Antony Raju, an advocate and the KC (J) candidate in Tvpm (West) is involved in the manipulation of evidence in a drug trafficing case involving an Australian national. Similarly the JD (s) candidate Neelalohi-thadasan Nadar has been convicted by court for outraging the modesties of women IAS, IFS, officers Nalini Netto and Prakruthi Shrivastava. But KC(J) and JD(S) are unwilling to change the candidates fearing anger from the Latin Catholic and Christian Nadar Communities.
