Thiruvananthapuram: Though the LDF had no problem in finalising the mayor candidate with the party zeroing in on former mayor and CPM district secretariat member Jayan Babu early, it was not so with the UDF. Mr Jayan Babu is contesting from Pangode.
The Congress had identified many mayor candidates, but all of them opted out. Finally, it had to be satisfied with senior councillors Maheswaran Nair and Johnson Joseph.
Mr Nair is contesting from Mudavanmugal while Mr Joseph from Ulloor. One of the firebrand leaders of the UDF in the council, Mujeeb Rahman, has defected to the LDF to contest from Kamaleswaram ward. Prominent BJP candidates in Thiruvananthapuram corporation ward are state vice-president K. K. Vavva who is contesting from Kowdiar ward and former Vanchiyoor ward councillor P. Ashok Kumar, who are also projected as mayor candidates. Mr Vava is also the former director of animal husbandry department.
Apart from Mr Babu, two other district committee members of the CPM are in the fray in the corporation. They are Karamana Hari from Karamana and K.C. Vikraman from Vattiyoorkavu. Other major CPM candidates are works standing committee chairman V.S. Padmakumar from Cheruvakkal and health standing committee chairman S. Pushapalatha from Nedungad.
One of the prominent leaders to contest from CPI is Solomon Vettucaud from Shanghumukhom. He is likely to get the post of deputy mayor if the party is given the post. Palayam Rajan, welfare standing committee chairman of the corporation and NCP leader is contesting from Nanthancode.
The CPM and the Congress have not named any probables for the district panchayat president post. The chairman of the standing committee for works in the outgoing district panchayat Anad Jayan and R. Valsalan are the frontrunners for the district president’s post of the Congress.
The CPM has decided to field former vice-presidents of the district panchayat B.P. Murali from Palode and V.K. Madhu, who held the post of chairman standing committee for education in the first panchayat committee, from Navaikulam.
Both are CPM district secretariat members. One of them will be the district panchayat president in case the CPM wins the election. Mr V. Joy, a CPM district committee member is contesting from Attingal.
