JOIN USThese troubling questions have been raging in the Congress camp as the announcement of the party’s list of candidates continues to drag on in Delhi.
The Youth Congress which made the right noises on these questions quite early enough seems to have driven home this point to the AICC. Congress general secretary and in charge of Youth Congress Rahul Gandhi had handed over a list of candidates in Kerala for the consideration of the steering committee finalising the party candidates. It is this list that is reportedly delaying the announcement of Congress candidates as several “ageless and timeless” leaders are finding themselves on shaky ground.
Sources point out that there are over a dozen Congress candidates who have been winning or losing at will from the same seat for many years. Yet they continue to be in top contention whenever Assembly elections are announced.
Sensing the general mood, UDF convener P P Thankachan, who has been contesting from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam, has excused himself from the race.
Supporters of Oommen Chandy have alleged that Rahul’s list mostly comprises supporters of Kerala PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala whose chief ministerial ambitions took wings recently.
Reports say it is not just the top brass of the Youth Congress as well as the Kerala Students Union who are likely to get seats.
There may be even more and this could aggravate the rebel menace in the Congress on a scale witnessed in the Kerala Congress (M).
Revolt in KC(M)
The Kerala Congress (M), which announced its candidates for 15 seats on Monday, has already seen two of its senior leaders openly revolting against the leadership.
The merger of the KC (Joseph) in the party has wreaked havoc in the party as it is unable to accommodate seniors from both sides. Sitting MLA Joseph M Puthusery is upset at the denial of seat to him in Tiruvalla while another leader Stephen George has quit the party and is contesting as an independent backed by the LDF in Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam.
Demonstrations were taken out on Monday against the party’s decision to renominate senior leader C F Thomas instead of a youthful leader in Changanassery.