The upcoming civic polls for Kochi Corporation will bring political surprises with several prominent leaders fielding candidates from opposite political camps.
VP Chandran, a former Thrikkakara area committee member of the CPI(M) and its parliamentary party secretary in the Corporation Council five years ago, will be the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate from Vyttila division. The party candidate here will be AB Sabu, a former member of the district Congress committee who has severed his ties with the Congress and is now associated with the CPI(M).
KJ Antony, former Leader of Opposition in Kochi Corporation Council and Kochi District Committee of CPI(M), will contest as an independent candidate from Nazareth division. Both Mr. Chandran and Mr. Antony will contest the elections as independent candidates backed by the UDF.
The party’s candidate from Vennala division will be MB Muralidharan, a three-year Congress councilor who joined the CPI(M) a few years ago. The Congress leadership is in the process of finalizing its candidate in the division to take over its former leader.
TK Asharaf and PM Harris, who were earlier colleagues in the Indian Union Muslim League, will contest from the Kaloor North division. Mr Asharaf, who last won the civic poll as the rebel candidate, returned to the party fold a few months ago. Mr. Haris, a former member of the League’s state working committee, left the organization two years ago to join the CPI(M). While Mr Asharaf will contest the election on the party symbol of ‘ladder’, Mr Harris will contest the election on the party symbol of ‘hammer, sickle and star’.
Sunitha Dixon, chairperson of the Kochi Corporation Standing Committee on Race, who won the Vyttila division twice as both a Congress and RSP(B) candidate, joined the BJP the other day. He is likely to contest from the Ponnurunni division.
This time, family members of several former councilors are also in the game. Shiras Bava, grandson of KM Hamsakunju, former vice-chairman and mayor of Kochi, and Mary Sharon, wife of outgoing councilor J. Sanilmon, will contest the election from the UDF panel.
The political fronts are expected to announce their list in a few days.
Published – 9 Nov 2025 21:24 IST
