PALAKKAD/KOTTAYAM: Candidate selection process by the Congress seems to have run into a rough weather with differences in the party coming out in the open on Tuesday from Palakkad and Konni.
The outburst by veteran Congress A V Gopinath that the party leadership has been sidelining experienced leaders has set off speculations that he might contest as an independent backed by LDF in the Palakkad assembly constituency.
Political observers say the move could be disastrous for the Congress sitting MLA Shafi Parambil.
Former Alathur MLA Gopinath had resigned from the post of district Congress Committee (DCC) president accusing certain Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) and DCC leaders of “marginalizing” him in 2009. He has also served as the president of Peringottukurissi grama panchayat for about 25 years and there is widespread support for him among the rank and file of the party.
Sources say he has been keeping in touch with the CPM of late, particularly with SC and ST Welfare minister AK Balan. Peringottukurissi grama panchayat falls under Tarur, a seat Balan has won twice for his party. The government has launched several development schemes in the panchayat, including the Kannampra Kinfra Park, which was inaugurated recently.
That Gopinath won Alathur, considered as a CPM stronghold for his party in 1996, shows his popularity and contact with the masses. Gopinath has admitted that besides Balan, he had held talks with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as well. Balan had said that if Gopinath quits Congress he will not be “have to stay alone” indicating that LDF is ready to accommodate him.
Meanwhile, there are reports that BJP is also holding talks with Gopinath. In the last assembly elections, BJP candidate Sobha Surendran had come second in Palakkad pushing to third position the LDF candidate N N Krishnadas.
Trouble is brewing for the UDF in Konni assembly constituency in Pathanamthitta district as well, which the Congress has been winning for the last five assembly elections since1996. Some regional leaders have written to senior AICC leaders, including AICC president Sonia Gandhi, pleading not to consider Robin Peter, recommended by MP Adoor Prakash, as the candidate for the constituency.
The leaders numbering 17 include KPCC member Mathew Kulathumkal, DCC general secretaries Elizabeth Abu and M S Prakash. They cited several reasons in the letter for opposing the candidature of Peter without directly mentioning his name in the letter. Peter is currently representing Pramadom division in Pathanamthitta district panchayat. He was earlier the president of Pramadom grama panchayat.
Congress had lost the seat to CPM in the by-elections held last year after Prakash quit as the MLA to contest in the Lok Sabha polls from Attingal. The leaders raised the serious allegation that Prakash openly came out against the UDF candidate in the byelections as Peter was denied candidature in the elections then.
The leaders pointed out in the letter that “senior leaders belonging to the constituency have been denied contesting due to Prakash’s entry into the constituency”. “Prakash is residing in Adoor constituency” said the leaders in the letter.
The letter also lists out possible candidates for the constituency and includes DCC president Babu George, KPCC members Mathew Kulathumkal, Elizabeth Abu, N Shylaj and Satheesh Kochuparambil.