It's politics that matters and not sympathy, Left Front candidate M. Vijayakumar said on Sunday on a by-election necessiated by the death of Kerala assembly speaker G. Karthikeyan.
The CPI-M candidate's comment came a day after the ruling Congress announced it would field K.S. Sabarinathan, the younger son of Karthikeyan, for the bypoll.
The bye-poll in the rural constituency in the capital district -- Aruvikara, is scheduled to take place on June 27.
"During elections, it's the politics what matters and not sympathy," said Vijayakumar, who has been fielded as the Left Front candidate.
Vijayakumar in his debut election in 1987 beat Karthikeyan but in a different constituency in the capital district.
However, a glance at the previous by-elections held in the state following the death of a sitting member shows that the kith or kin of the deceased member, whenever fielded, has always won.
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Sabarinathan, a bachelor of 31 years of age, has quit his job with the Tatas in Mumbai to contest the polls.
"Development in Aruvikara has taken a beating and of the 14 assembly constituencies in the capital district, Aruvikara is ranked 14th," said 65-year-old Vijayakumar, who is a former speaker and also a state minister.
Vijayakumar ruled out any sort of factionalism in the CPI-M and said he has always been a loyal follower of former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan.
"Let me make it very clear that there exists no factionalism in the CPI-M and the LDF is safe in Aruvikara," said Vijayakumar.