Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and 11 of his cabinet colleagues were among the 81 candidates announced by the ruling CPI(M) on Sunday for the April 9 Assembly polls in the state.
The list was released by CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan at a press conference here soon after the schedule of the election was declared by the Election Commission in New Delhi.
Of the 81 candidates announced, six are party-backed independents. The independent candidates for the five constituencies-Koduvalli, Kottakkal, Kondotty, Tirur and Palakkad-will be declared soon, he said.
As many as 56 sitting MLAs are in the fray, he said, adding that 11 ministers besides CM Vijayan, are figured in the candidates list.
Vijayan is the only member of the CPI(M) Politburo contesting the polls, Govindan said.
However, A N Shamseer, who is now serving as Assembly Speaker, and M M Mani, a party veteran from high range Idukki district, failed to find a place on the list.
While Vijayan has been fielded in his sitting seat Dharmadam in Kannur district, senior leader K K Shailaja has been shifted to Peravoor from her current bastion-Mattannoor.
Apart from Vijayan, the ministers contesting the polls are O R Kelu (Mananthavady), P A Mohammed Riyas (Beypore), V Abdurahiman (Tanur), M B Rajesh (Thrithala), R Bindu (Irinjalakuda), P Rajeev (Kalamassery), V N Vasavan (Ettumanoor), Saji Cherian (Chengannur), Veena George (Aranmula), K N Balagopal (Kottarakkara) and V Sivankutty (Nemom).