Pannian Raveendran interview | ‘The Left holds pivotal position in serving as a corrective influence’
The Hindu
Pannian Raveendran is leading the charge for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in an effort to reclaim the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala from Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who aims for a fourth consecutive win.
Pannian Raveendran, former Kerala State secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), is leading the charge for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in an effort to reclaim the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala from Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who aims for a fourth consecutive win.
A seasoned politician who clinched victory for the LDF by an unprecedented margin back in 2005, Mr. Raveendran is riding on a spirited campaign that emphasises the alleged shortcomings of the current MP and the “antagonistic approach” of the Central government towards the region encompassing Kerala’s capital.
In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Raveedran discusses the vital role of the Left in addressing “the wrongs of the previous governments” and harnessing the potential of Thiruvananthapuram as a metropolis.

BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said that the electoral battle in Nilambur is between the BJP candidate and the INDIA alliance. “There is only one candidate who speaks of development. That is BJP’s Mohan George,” he said. Describing the candidates of the United Democratic Front (UDF), the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and P.V. Anvar as part of the INDIA alliance, Mr. Chandrasekhar said that the people of Nilambur had only two options: either to vote for Narendra Modi politics or INDIA alliance politics.