Thiruvananthapuram, 11 March (H.S.):Congress MPs show interest in contesting Kerala assembly polls, party leadership divided

Five Members of Parliament from the Indian National Congress in Kerala have reportedly informed the party high command of their willingness to contest in the upcoming state Assembly elections, sparking internal debate within the party leadership.

The MPs who have conveyed their interest in entering the fray include K.Sudhakaran , Adoor Prakash, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Shafi Parambil and M.K.Raghavan.There were also rumours that K.C.Venugopal might enter the Assembly race, though no official confirmation has emerged on that front.

However, the proposal to field sitting MPs in the Assembly election has reportedly faced strong opposition from a section of senior leaders within the Kerala unit of the party. According to reports, some leaders have even warned the leadership that they may withdraw from the election process if MPs are given Assembly tickets.

Meanwhile, Benny Behanan , another Congress MP from Kerala, has publicly clarified that he is not interested in contesting the Assembly elections.

Amid these developments, the party’s central leadership is expected to take the final call on whether sitting MPs should be fielded in the state polls. The screening committee meeting chaired by senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. today to discuss candidate selection for the Assembly election. Senior leaders from Kerala are also expected to attend the meeting. Sources indicate that decisions regarding around 50 constituencies may be taken during the meeting.

Certain constituencies are already expected to see new candidates. In particular, the party is almost certain to field fresh faces in Palakkad and Thrippunirlthara Assembly constituencies.

At the same time, discussions are continuing within the party over whether sitting MLAs should be re-nominated in some constituencies. The party leadership is reportedly divided over the prospects of fielding Eldosw Kunnappilly ,again from Perumbavoor and I.C Balakrishnan from Sulthan Bathery, as both leaders are facing legal cases. Despite the controversy, reports suggest that both leaders may still be considered for renomination.

In a related development, the screening committee is also unlikely to discuss the candidate for Ambalappuzha, as former minister G. Sudhakaran is currently at odds with the leadership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The final decision on candidates, particularly the role of MPs in the Assembly election, will ultimately rest with the Congress high command.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman