Thiruvananthapuram Congress identifies candidates in three disputed wards for municipal polls

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the names are yet to be announced officially, the Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee has identified its candidates for the three disputed wards of the Thiruvananthapuram corporation. 

The New Indian Express has learnt that Edavacode Ashokan, R Anitha and SM Basheer are most likely to be fielded from Edavacode, Thampanoor and Manikyavilakom wards, respectively.

The DCC leadership is expected to officially announce their candidature on Monday. The Muslim League candidate list, for five seats earmarked for the UDF constituent, is also pending in the 100-ward Thiruvananthapuram corporation. 

The DCC managed to resolve the stalemate in Edavacode, Thampanoor and Manikyavilakom wards without the intervention of the KPCC leadership. However, unruly scenes were witnessed when the candidate was being decided for Thampanoor which is a reservation ward. The dispute, before it was addressed, left a DCC office-bearer suspended.

The candidature in the wards of Pattom (Congress) and Attipra (RSP) has also not been announced. While Pattom initially saw Gowreesapattom Mohan being fielded, he was diagnosed with COVID-19, which led the DCC leadership to scout for another suitable candidate.

The RSP leadership is also set to identify a replacement candidate for the Attipra ward after Sridevi Shammi backed out citing personal inconvenience.But the DCC cannot rest easy as trouble is brewing amid allegations of not fielding strong candidates.

“In Poojapura ward, which has a sizeable population of the Nair community, a candidate from another community has been fielded. This has not gone down well with a section of the local Congress leaders and efforts are on to find a suitable candidate. There are also allegations of payment seats with Mullappally receiving complaints against the DCC leadership over the candidature in Sreekariyam,” said a KPCC general secretary.

The candidate list is set to be announced after KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran reaches the capital from Kannur. The list of candidates for the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat has already been announced. Once the list is announced for all 100 wards, the UDF convention is likely to be held later this week.