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Congress candidates selection to start after Pala polling

Former Kollam MP N. Peethambara Kurup said he was the only leader who had waited patiently to get a party ticket.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Several seat aspirants in the Congress party have come out in the open expressing their desire to contest from Vattiyoorkavu, Konni, Aroor and Ernakulam in the Oct 21 by-elections.

KPCC leadership is expected to start the process of selecting candidates after Monday's polling in Pala.

AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy, KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala are expected to be back in the capital on Monday night.

Former Kollam MP N. Peethambara Kurup said he was the only leader who had waited patiently to get a party ticket. To a certain extent, K. Muraleedharan MP also prefers his father K. Karunakaran's loyalist for the seat he vacated.

Mr Muraleedharan will be holding talks with the top brass of the 'A' group in the coming days. With Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala deciding to swap Aroor and Vattiyoorkavu, in all likelihood, AICC secretary P. C. Vishnunath is going to get the ticket for Vattiyoorkavu. But local leaders have already threatened to oppose the two-time Chengannur legislature.

"Shashi Tharoor MP belongs to Palakkad and Mr Muraleedharan Thrissur. Local leaders accepted them reluctantly. Now if the same is happening again, we will not sit tight," said a local leader.

SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan and NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair have also intervened seeking more communal representation.

Mr Natesan demanded Hindu candidates for Aroor and Konni.

Currently, Shanimol Usman, who lost to A.M. Arif in the Lok Sabha elections, is being considered for Aroor.

Interestingly, her family has close ties with the SNDP leader running to several decades. But that has not deterred him from openly expressing his displeasure against her candidacy.

In Konni, Adoor Prakash MP has been batting for his loyalist, Robin Peter, president of Pramadam grama panchayat, for the seat he vacated.

"Mr Nair has threatened that Chengannur by-election scene will repeat in Konni if a Christian candidate contests. This has upset the plans of Mr Prakash as well as the KPCC leadership," a senior MP said.

If that's the case, then KPCC secretary Pazhakulam Madhu, Chennithala loyalist, is likely to get the seat.
When it comes to Ernakulam, former MLA, Hibi Eden MP, and Mr Chennithala prefers DCC president and deputy mayor T. J. Vinod.

But a top Congress leader told DC that if he steps down, their majority in the corporation council will be lost.
Other probable is KPCC vice-president Laly Vincent.

"But when Ms Usman's candidature is almost finalised from the neighbouring Aroor, it is unlikely to field another woman leader from Ernakulam," said a top Congress leader.

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