Thiruvananthapuram | As the deadline for filing nominations for the Kerala Assembly elections ended on Monday, several candidates, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, are facing challenges posed by name-sakes in different constituencies.
Apart from Vijayan, CPI(M) rebel leader G Sudhakaran, Trinamool Congress leader P V Anvar, Minister P Rajeev, CPI(M) MLA V K Prasanth, Congress leaders K Muralidharan, Praveen Kumar K, and Thomas Unniyadan also face opponents with the same name.
In the Dharmadam constituency, where the Chief Minister is contesting, an independent candidate named Vijayan A M, a native of Chedichery in Kannur, has filed nomination.
CPI(M) rebel leader G Sudhakaran is also facing a namesake in Ambalapuzha, a person named Sudhakaran, who has filed nomination as an independent.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, too, has an independent opponent named Ramesh C in Haripad.
Congress leader K R Rajendraprasad, contesting against minister P Prasad, is also facing a namesake.
Anvar, who is contesting from Beypore against Tourism Minister P A Muhammad Riyas, son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is facing as many as four namesakes.
Independent candidates Anwar Al Hassan and three others with the name Anvar have filed nominations from Beypore in Kozhikode, where P V Anvar is in the fray.
Apart from Anvar, even Riyas has two namesakes — Mohammed Riyas T T and Muhammad Riyas P C.
In Kalamassery, an independent candidate named Rajeev has filed nomination papers in the constituency where Minister P Rajeev is contesting.
At Thiruvambady, where Muslim League leader C K Kasim is contesting, two other candidates with the same name have also filed nominations.
In Vattiyoorkavu, sitting MLA V K Prasanth faces a namesake in independent candidate Prasanth K.
In the same constituency, Congress leader K Muralidharan faces an independent opponent, Muralidharan P.
In Koyilandy, Kozhikode DCC president Praveen Kumar K is up against an independent candidate with the same name.
Similarly, Congress leader Thomas Unniyadan, contesting from Irinjalakuda, is also facing an independent candidate named Thomas.
After scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, several such namesake candidates are likely to exit the contest.
Thiruvananthapuram | Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan has declared assets worth around Rs three crore, including movable and immovable properties, in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission on Monday for contesting the polls from North Paravoor.
Satheesan has movable assets worth Rs 53.82 lakh, while his wife has movable assets worth Rs 68.45 lakh.
His immovable assets, including land and other properties, are valued at Rs 2.42 crore, while his wife's immovable property is valued at Rs 1.85 crore.
Satheesan has liabilities of Rs 24 lakh, while his wife has loans amounting to Rs 17.45 lakh.
There are 18 criminal cases pending against the Leader of Opposition in the assembly.
Similarly, Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani has declared assets worth over Rs two crore, including movable and immovable properties.
Mani’s movable assets are valued at Rs 85.24 lakh, while his wife has movable assets worth Rs 61.77 lakh.
His immovable assets, including land and a commercial building, are worth Rs 1.23 crore, while his wife's immovable property is valued at Rs 20.15 lakh.
Jose K Mani has no liabilities, according to the affidavit.