Congress MP Sudhakaran invokes lifelong sacrifices as he eyes Assembly return

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid reports that senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran is yet to reach an agreement with party leaders over his interest in contesting the upcoming Assembly poll, he penned an emotional message on Facebook on Friday narrating his close connection with Kannur.

The Kannur MP, who was in Delhi for discussions with the AICC on finalising Congress candidates for the election, returned to his hometown on Thursday.

There are reports that the AICC has decided not to allow Members of Parliament to contest in the Assembly elections.

In the Facebook post, the party's Kannur strongman said the district was deeply connected to him and that he had always stood in the forefront to protect Congress workers during periods of political violence.

Reminding party leaders of his sacrifices, Sudhakaran said that while others might forget the fiery paths he had travelled in politics, for him, they remain vivid realities that will endure even in death.

“Kannur is my heart’s blood. The Congress in Kannur is also my address. Like a mother hen protecting her chicks from stones, knives, sickles and bombs, I stood in the front and fought to protect my brothers,” he said.

Sudhakaran said he could never remain a silent spectator if his colleagues were allegedly targeted by “communist forces”.

He said whenever he wakes up he sees the dreams of the party that he and his colleagues built together with their “life and blood”.

When he closes his eyes, the lifeless faces of his colleagues who were killed in political violence by communists appear before him, he said.

“For that soil, K Sudhakaran will always stand in the forefront carrying the Congress tricolour flag in his heart. On the land where my blood and sweat have fallen and where my colleagues shed their blood, I will stand with my head held high,” he said.

He also said that in the course of protecting the movement he had never thought about his home or family.

“Every leader in Kannur today has grown up holding my hand and working with me. There is no Kannur that I do not know and no Kannur that does not know me,” he said.

Meanwhile, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said Sudhakaran remains the Congress party’s strongest leader in Kannur.

“I met him yesterday. He told me that he would go forward with whatever decision the party takes,” Joseph said.

He also said that no decision has been taken by the party on whether MPs should be barred from contesting the Assembly election.

“No decision has been taken. There is still time as the election has not yet been declared,” he said.

Joseph added that Sudhakaran is also his leader and that the party would accept whatever decision is taken collectively.

AICC leader K C Venugopal said Sudhakaran had attended the meeting with the KPCC president on Thursday.

“He did not leave without attending the meeting. He left as he had to go,” Venugopal said.

He added that detailed discussions are being held on candidates in each constituency.

“In all seats, winnability is the main factor being considered in the discussions,” he said.