Putting the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on the spot, rebel leader U.V. Dinesh Mani filed his nomination as an Independent candidate in Elathur Assembly constituency on Thursday.
Incidentally, the official UDF candidate Sulfikkar Mayuri, State vice president of the newly floated Nationalist Congress Kerala (NCK) led by Mani C. Kappan, also filed his nomination in Elathur.
The decision of the Congress State leadership, which had offered the Elathur seat to the new partner under the seat-sharing pact, had led to protests in the constituency.
Mr. Mani, an influential local leader in the segment, is no novice to electoral politics although this is his maiden contest in the Assembly polls. He was Chelannur block panchayat president and member of the Thalakulatoor grama panchayat. He filed his papers after resigning from the executive body of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Previously, the KPCC had zeroed in on Mr. Mani’s candidature, but the UDF was compelled to offer the Elathur segment to the NCK, when Mr. Kappan demanded two seats for his party, including Pala where he is seeking re-election
Attempts to pacify the Congress local leaders in Elathur not only remained futile but also led to resignations of the office-bearers of block and mandalam committees. Affiliates of the party organisations such as the Youth Congress and the Kerala Students’ Union also supported Mr. Mani.
Kozhikode MP M.K. Raghavan had backed the demand of the party dissidents, seeking the Congress high command to field a Congress candidate. He even sent a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take back the Elathur seat. Now, it remains to be seen whether he will openly support the candidature of Mr. Mani.
Meanwhile, KPCC general secretary K.P. Anilkumar has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against dissidents. The seat that was allotted to a constituent would not be taken back, he said.
Mr. Mayuri, a native of Alappuzha, has begun campaigning in the segment.
NCP leader and Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran is the Left Democratic Front candidate. He is in the fray for the third consecutive time after winning the 2011 and 2016 elections.
