Leaders plunge into campaign in Kerala

Congress veteran in the state and Defence Minister A K Antony will soon be joining his colleagues as his presence is expected to boost the prospects of the UDF candidates.

Though for the CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan is the key strategist and campaigner, party veteran and Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan has been roped in for run-up as he continues to be a crowd-puller in any nook and cranny of the state.

The octogenarian's rivals in the party have set aside their grouse against time for time being as services are inevitable, and also proved highly beneficial, during the elections.

The state is set to witness several key contests as six Union ministers and senior leaders are in the fray.  

The ministers seeking re-election include Shashi Tharoor (Thiruvananthapuram ), K V Thomas (Ernaklulam), Mullapally Ramchandran (Vatkara), Kodikunnil Suresh (Mavelikkara), K C Venugopal (Alappuzha) and E Ahamed (Malappuram).