Dharmadam Battleground: Congress leader C Raghunath to take on CM Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala polls

The Congress in Kerala on Thursday ended the suspense over its candidate who'll take on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in battleground Dharmadam in the Kannur district.

Congress local leader C Raghunath filed nomination on Thursday at Dharmadam, which has been a stronghold of the CPM, even as a formal announcement regarding the candidate was awaited.

Earlier, the Congress had indicated that a popular leader would be fielded against Vijayan to put up a strong fight. It has also suggested Forward Bloc leader G Devarajan, but he stayed away as it may have affected the alliance of the Left parties against the BJP. The suspense built up as the Congress announced candidates for all seats in Kerala, but Dharmadam until now.

Also read — Congress leader K Sudhakaran says he'll not contest against Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala Assembly elections

Congress senior leader and Lok Sabha MP K Sudhakaran’s name was also strongly doing the rounds. However, Sudhakaran himself announced on Thursday that the party district committee suggested Raghunath as a candidate. Sudhakaran, who is also working president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said that he has to campaign for the party in many parts and hence he'll not contest in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.

There were also reports that Congress may back the mother of minor sisters who died in suspicious circumstances after suffering sexual assaults at Walayar in Palakkad district. She was expected to contest as a mark of protest against the government for not initiating action against the police officials who allegedly scuttled the probe into the death of her daughters. Meanwhile, there have been protests from an action council formed for justice in the Walayar case against the decision of the mother of the victims to contest. The action council leaders alleged that the decision of the woman to contest was part of a ploy by vested interest groups.

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Sources said that the chances of Raghunath withdrawing his candidature and the Congress-led UDF backing the mother of the sexual assault victims could not be ruled out.

In Dharmadam, Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking a mandate from the seat for a second consecutive term. Last time, he won with a majority of over 37,000 votes.