Thiruvananthapuram: While Youth Congress state leadership is hopeful of getting a minimum of 10 seats to contest, Mahila Congress wants representation in all the 14 districts.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, YC leaders like V. T. Balram, Anwar Sadath, Shafi Parambil, I. C. Balakrishnan, Hibi Eden and P. C. Vishnunath had won, showing a high success rate than the elders. However, out of seven Mahila Congress leaders in the fray, only P. K. Jayalakshmy (Mananthavady) emerged victorious.
State YC president Dean Kuriakose had already submitted a representation of youth leaders to its national president Amarinder Singh Raja Brar, a Punjab legislator. The KPCC also added YC nominees on its list to the AICC.
“The AICC leadership would zero in on those probable candidates with winning chances. We hope the AICC would be lenient towards YC this time too,” he said told DC.
YC vice-president C. R. Mahesh who had quit in protest against inadequate representation in the local bodies elections, only to revoke his decision later, is now lobbying for Karunagapally while KPCC general secretary K. M. I. Mather’s daughter Jebi Mather, the YC general secretary, wants Aroor, where KPCC leadership is keen to field actor Siddique.
Though KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran had assured women leaders adequate representation at the Mahila Congress Women’s Day celebrations here on Tuesday, they are not confident.
They are apprehensive of senior male Congress leaders who would flex their muscles at the nth hour, leaving vulnerable seats for them.
“AICC leadership is scared of taking risks when it comes to shortlisting women candidates. The three senior leaders from Kerala along with A. K. Antony would decide on the candidature.
“But if the voters choose to elect women candidates, then it would be a different ball game altogether,” said a top woman Congress leader.
Currently, senior women leaders who are expected to be in the fray are Shanimol Usman (Ambalapuzha), Laly Vincent (Ernakulam), Padmaja Venugopal (Thrissur), and Lathika Subhash (Ettumanoor). But if Latika's husband, K. R. Subhash, Ernakulam DCC vice-president, gets a seat, probably Vypeen, she might throw in the towel.
