The unending row in the embattled Kerala Congress (M) over the party symbol, two leaves, has put the Congress-led coalition further on its back foot in Pala.
The dispute reached a flash point on Wednesday after the Joseph faction sprang a surprise by fielding its own candidate, Joseph Kandathil, for the byelection on September 23. Mr. Kandathil, a confidant of Mr. Joseph and State secretary of the KC(M)’s farmers’ union, submitted his papers with barely a few hours left for the filing of nominations to end.
The move, which came close on the heels of the Mani faction turning down Mr. Joseph’s demand to raise a formal request for the symbol, is widely regarded as a ploy to make sure that the UDF candidate fielded by the Mani faction will not contest under the party symbol.
Meanwhile, Mr. Joseph denied any role behind the shock move but said Mr. Kandathil would withdraw the nomination as soon as the ongoing dispute on the party symbol was settled. ‘‘The decision must have come from the local level to counter the vile moves from the rival group to get the party symbol,’’ he told the media persons in Thodupuzha.
Besides fielding own candidate, Mr. Joseph also handed a letter to the assistant returning officer, requesting him not to allot the party symbol to Jose Tom Pulikkunnel, the UDF candidate. The letter, given in his capacity as the KC(M) working chairman, explained the ongoing legal battles over the dispute within the party.
The Mani faction, on the other hand, too served a letter to the election authority through its general secretary Stephen George claiming its right over the symbol. It, however, appeared least hopeful of a favorable decision from the authorities.
‘‘The two leaves symbol, under which K.M. Mani had contested from this constituency for years, was so close to the heart of the voters in Pala. The adamant stance taken by Mr. Joseph not to allot the symbol to the UDF candidate is a clear violation of an agreement brokered by the UDF,’’ Mr. Mani said.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Pulikkunnel and N. Hari filed their nomination papers to the assistant returning officer at Lalam. Following the uncertainty over the party symbol, Mr. Pulikkunnel submitted two sets of nominations — both as an Independent and a KC(M) candidate.
Besides the two major candidates, the election authority received 22 nominations on the final day, taking the total number of candidates to 17.