Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress leaders’ talks in Delhi on the candidates’ list have hit a road block with KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran insisting on replacing the sitting candidates in Irikoor, Thrikkakara, Tripunnithura and Konni.
Mr Sudheeran found himself isolated at the AICC screening committee meeting with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala opposing his list. Mr Chandy’s trusted lieutenants K. C. Joseph, Benny Behanan and K. Babu and Chennithala loyalist Adoor Prakash’s names were shot down by Mr Sudheeran.
‘A’ group leaders Benny Behanan and party vice- president M. M. Hassan were huddled with Mr Chandy after 4 p.m. at the Kerala House after AICC screening committee chairman Mallikarjun Kharge left for Rashtrapati Bhavan to attend a meeting.
Both ‘A’ and ‘I’ factions claimed that if sitting MLAs in Irikoor, Thrikkakara, Tripunnithura and Konni are removed, the Congress would lose the seats. KPCC general secretary Satheeshan Pacheni may be fielded in Irikoor.
Former MP P. T. Thomas and Greater Cochin Development Authority chairman N. Venugopal are being considered for Thrikkakara, and Pathanamthitta DCC president P. Mohanraj for Konni. But Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala are likely to have the final say.
KPCC spokesperson Rajmohan Unnithan told DC that Mr Chandy would return on Wednesday and convene the cabinet in the evening. “A final decision on the candidates will be taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leader A. K. Antony,” said Mr. Unnithan who is expected to contest from Kundara this time.
In Manaloor, sitting MLA P. Madhavan will be replaced with Thrissur DCC president O. Abdurahman Kutty. Parassala MLA A. T. George is also being sidelined and instead KPCC secretaries Mariapuram Sreekumar or Neyyatinkara Sanal would be considered. Mr K. P. Dhanapalan may be fielded in Kodungallur and Mr T. U. Radhakrishnan in Chalakudy.
Youth Congress and women candidates’ lists are yet to be decided. Sources told DC that Mr Sudheeran was not keen to give a seat to Mahila Congress president Bindu Krishna. Mr Sudheeran is expected to stay back in New Delhi until the final list is announced on April 1 or 2.
