THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress has been struggling to finalise the candidates for Attingal, Alappuzha, Vatakara and Wayanad and the AICC has summoned CWC member Oommen Chandy to Delhi to resolve the group fight in Wayanad. KPCC president Mullapally Ra-machandran told repo-rters in New Delhi that the candidates would be announced on Monday.
Mr Mullapally Ramach-andran and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennith-ala, who were planning to return to the state from Delhi on Sunday, have been asked to stay back to hold talks with the AICC leadership. Chandy has been batting for his loyalist and Kozhikode DCC president T. Siddique for Wayanad. But the ‘I’ group led by Ramesh Chennithala has staked its claim for it.
“Chandy has rushed to Kochi from Andhra Prad-esh to attend the funeral of former Congress MLA Rosamma Chacko. The AICC leadership will hold another round of talks with Chandy and by Monday the candidates would be announced,” said a Congress leader.
The ‘I’ group is keen to field either Shanimol Usman or KPCC secretary K. P. Abdul Majeed in Wayanad. CWC member A. K. Antony had proposed Malappuram DCC president V. V. Prakash. If Siddique gets Wayanad, Vidya Balakrishnan will be fielded from Vatakara. Then Shanimol Usman will contest from Alap-puzha and Adoor Prakash from Attingal. If there is a call for an Ezhava candidate in Alappuzha, Adoor Prakash will be fielded from there and Shanimol Usman will have to be content with Alappuzha.
There are also moves to put up V. V. Prakash in Wayanad as a consensus candidate. Siddique will then contest from Vata-kara.
Adoor Prakash can stick to Attingal and Sha-nimol Usman will get her home seat of Alappuzha. A Congress leader from Malabar told DC that with the RMP deciding to support the Congress candidate, there is pressure to field a strong candidate to take on CPM's P. Jayarajan.
