Thiruvananthapuram, 03 May (H.S.): As Kerala awaits a decisive political verdict on May 4, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will remain in Kannur, while Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be stationed in the state capital as counting of votes begins.

Pinarayi Vijayan is set to monitor the results from his residence in Kannur and is expected to travel to Thiruvananthapuram only on May 5. In contrast, V D Satheesan, who led the Congress-led UDF campaign, will arrive in Thiruvananthapuram late Sunday night and stay at the Cantonment House to closely follow the counting process.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, state president of th Kerala BJP , will function from Mararji Bhavan ,BJP state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, coordinating with party leaders and tracking developments through the day.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan will be present at the AKG Centre and will decide later whether to remain in the capital or return to Kannur depending on the results.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph will reach Thiruvananthapuram and is likely to head back to Kannur by evening. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala will begin the day in Alappuzha before arriving in the capital by noon.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal will be in Thiruvananthapuram in the morning, while CPI leader Binoy Viswam will remain at the M N Smarakam.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is also expected to arrive in the capital on Sunday night, while BJP leader V Muraleedharan is already present in the city.

With counting set to begin on May 4, Kerala stands at a critical juncture, awaiting a mandate that will decide whether the state opts for continuity or a shift in governance.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman