<p>In a bid to wrest a CPM stronghold seat that was earlier represented by former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, the Congress in Kerala is wooing Achuthanandan's former personal assistant A Suresh Kumar to contest as Congress-led United Democratic Front candidate in Malampuzha in Palakkad.</p><p>Suresh Kumar told a section of the media that some Congress leaders contacted him. But he was yet to take a call.</p>.SFI protest at Kerala University turns tense over arts festival row.<p>The fresh moves of the Congress came amidst reports that CPM may field Achuathanandan's son V A Arunkumar in Malampuzha.</p><p>Kumar had been Achuthanandan's close aide for a long time, including his term as chief minister from 2006 to 2011. He was expelled by the CPM in 2012 accusing him of leaking confidential party documents to the media. It was then widely considered as a move by the faction led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to corner his then bete noire Achuthanandan. </p><p>Kumar said that he was still remaining as a communist and there would not be any compromise on that. He also said that he had repeatedly urged the party to revoke his expulsion.</p><p>Achuthanandan had represented Malampuzha 20 years in a row from 2001 to 2021 by winning four elections. Communist party candidates had only won from Malapuzha so far.</p><p>Even as the centre recently selected Achuthanandan for the Padma Vibhushan award, his family decided not to accept it in view of communist party's stand against such honours.</p><p>Meanwhile, Congress MP and former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran said on Tuesday that he had conveyed to the party leadership his desire to contest in the assembly polls.</p><p>Sudhakaran's open statement came close on the heels of the Congress leadership reportedly arriving at a consensus that sitting MP's shall not contest the assembly polls. Many other MPs are also learnt to be desirous of contesting the assembly polls as the Congress is having high hopes of returning to power in Kerala. Hence a relaxation to one MP could trigger resentment in the party.</p>
<p>In a bid to wrest a CPM stronghold seat that was earlier represented by former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, the Congress in Kerala is wooing Achuthanandan's former personal assistant A Suresh Kumar to contest as Congress-led United Democratic Front candidate in Malampuzha in Palakkad.</p><p>Suresh Kumar told a section of the media that some Congress leaders contacted him. But he was yet to take a call.</p>.SFI protest at Kerala University turns tense over arts festival row.<p>The fresh moves of the Congress came amidst reports that CPM may field Achuathanandan's son V A Arunkumar in Malampuzha.</p><p>Kumar had been Achuthanandan's close aide for a long time, including his term as chief minister from 2006 to 2011. He was expelled by the CPM in 2012 accusing him of leaking confidential party documents to the media. It was then widely considered as a move by the faction led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to corner his then bete noire Achuthanandan. </p><p>Kumar said that he was still remaining as a communist and there would not be any compromise on that. He also said that he had repeatedly urged the party to revoke his expulsion.</p><p>Achuthanandan had represented Malampuzha 20 years in a row from 2001 to 2021 by winning four elections. Communist party candidates had only won from Malapuzha so far.</p><p>Even as the centre recently selected Achuthanandan for the Padma Vibhushan award, his family decided not to accept it in view of communist party's stand against such honours.</p><p>Meanwhile, Congress MP and former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran said on Tuesday that he had conveyed to the party leadership his desire to contest in the assembly polls.</p><p>Sudhakaran's open statement came close on the heels of the Congress leadership reportedly arriving at a consensus that sitting MP's shall not contest the assembly polls. Many other MPs are also learnt to be desirous of contesting the assembly polls as the Congress is having high hopes of returning to power in Kerala. Hence a relaxation to one MP could trigger resentment in the party.</p>