The Idukki Parliamentary seat is turning out to be an issue for the Congress party with a section of the Kerala Congress – one of the party’s allies in the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) – again staking claim to the seat.
Idukki, represented by the Congress in the Lok Sabha, has continued to be a hurdle for the party as it lines up talks with allies ahead of the election.
Antony Raju, a leader of a KC faction affiliated to minister P J Joseph, said in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday that party activists were of the opinion that if KC was denied the Idukki seat, the party should field a candidate in a “friendly fight” against the Congress.
Joseph and KC chairman K M Mani dismissed Raju’s remarks as “personal opinion” but the issue is expected to dominate seat-sharing talks in the coming days.