Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 21 (IANS): Even when the Lok Sabha polls have not been announced, the Kerala unit of the CPI-M on Wednesday, for all practical purposes, cleared the names of their candidates, which includes top state leaders, for the 15 seats that they contest.

Those who have been named include state minister K.Radhakarishnan from Alathur constituency (reserved) in Palakkad, three sitting legislators - V. Joy ( Attingal), K.K. Shailaja (Vadakara), and actor-turned-politician Mukesh (Kollam), two former State Ministers – Thomas Isaac (Pathanamthitta), C.Ravindranath (Chalakudy) sitting Rajya Sabha member Elamaram Kareem ( Kozhikode), and former legislator M.V.Jayarajan (Kannur).

Veteran former Lok Sabha member and party politburo member A. Vijayaraghavan is a surprise choice for the Palakkad seat.

Some other surprise names included the CPI-M youth wing's state President V. Vasif from Malappurram, K.S.Hamsa, a former leader of the Indian Union Muslim League - the second-biggest constituent of the Congress-led UDF, from Ponnani, and K.J.Shine from Ernakulam.

At Kasargod, they have decided to field N.V.Balakrishnan, the present Kasargod district Secretary.

At Idukki, former Lok Sabha member Joice George will be in his third straight electoral fight. In 2014, he defeated present MP, Dean Kuriakose of the Congress.

Meanwhile the lone CPI-M sitting MP A.M.Arif will defend his Alappuzha seat.

Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and in the 2019 polls, the CPI-M managed to win just one seat despite making tall claims earlier. While the CPI-M will contest 15, the CPI will fight four and Kerala Congress-M, one.

With the Kerala Congress-M already clearing its sitting Kottayam MP Thomas Chazhikaden, the CPI is expected to name their candidates in a week’s time.

Political analyst K.C.Umesh Babu said the elections will see a lot of questions being asked to all these bigwigs on the Vijayan government's functioning. "Names don’t matter," he contended.

The Congress is yet to announce their list , so is the BJP.