Candidates of major fronts file nominations for bypoll

Thiruvananthapuram: Candidates of major political fronts - ruling LDF, opposition UDF and BJP-NDA on Monday filed nomination papers for the crucial by-polls to the five assembly constituencies to be held on October 21.

City corporation mayor and LDF candidate V K Prashanth, UDF nominee K Mohankumar, who are seeking electoral luck from Vattiyoorkkavu constituency, senior Congress leader Shanimol Usman contesting from Aroor and BJP candidates K Surendran and Raveesha Tantri Kundar from Konni and Manjeswaram respectively were among the prominent personalities who filed their nomination on Monday.

Of the total five constituencies, four- Vattiyoorkkavu, Konni, Manjeswaram and Ernakulam-were the sitting seats of UDF while Aroor was with the LDF. The bypoll was necessitated as the sitting MLAs resigned and contested in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections. The impending elections are crucial for both the ruling and opposition fronts as it would be considered as a curtain-raiser of the assembly polls which is nearly two years away.

The wresting of Pala assembly segment, a bastion of UDF partner Kerala Congress (M) for the past five decades, in the recent bypoll has become a morale booster for the ruling LDF after its rout in the Lok Sabha polls. For opposition UDF, the retaining of all its sitting seats is a prestigious affair.

The by-polls in the five assembly constituencies would be held on October 21 and counting of votes would be on October 24. The scrutiny of the nomination papers would be held on October 1 while the last date for the withdrawal of the nomination papers is on October 3, Election Commission sources here said.