Kozhikode: The impasse over deciding the Congress candidate in Wayanad could affect the UDF's electioneering in neighbouring constituencies too. A week has passed after Kozhikode DCC president T Siddique, who was widely tipped to contest from Wayanad, said he was happily paving way for party president Rahul Gandhi. However, Rahul is yet to make any announcement on his candidature from one of the sure seats for the Congress in the state.
The other allies in the UDF are also frustrated over the impasse. On Friday, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) came out in the open, saying that the party workers are frustrated and that would affect the poll results too. The leaders also pointed out that the opposition candidate CPI's P P Suneer was way ahead in campaigning and the delay in announcing the UDF candidate would create confusion among the voters too.
The IUML in Wayanad would approach its state leadership to intervene to end this uncertainty that would damage the prospects of the UDF in other constituencies also. UDF Wayanad convener P P A Kareem told mediapersons that it was difficult to reach the voters in a short period of time. He added that the party workers were a dejected lot over the uncertainty.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Vadakara, UDF candidate K Muraleedharan, whose name too has not been officially confirmed by the party high command, reacted that the cadres in Wayanad constituency had shared their concern, but his constituency was not affected.
Mullappally blames other parties
In Kozhikode, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran said that 'some political parties were resorting to drama in New Delhi to prevent Rahul from contesting in Wayanad'. He added that the inside dramas would be revealed later. “Nobody from Congress stopped the president from contesting here, but the CPM is against his candidature in Wayanad. Congress in Kerala had requested him to contest from Wayanad and the final decision has to come from him,” Mullappally said.
The name of Rahul propped up as a surprise, when the party workers had already started campaigning for Siddique. Siddique's candidature, allegedly at the insistence of former chief minister Oommen Chandy, had created havoc inside the party. The 'I' group went to the extreme of holding a parallel meeting in Kozhikode, expressing their protest in denying them the Wayanad seat.
The LDF is projecting the uncertainty in the Congress ranks to its benefit during the electioneering. DCC president I C Balakrishnan, who had patiently waited for the announcement of Rahul as the party candidate, said on Friday that the UDF would have to pay the price for the delay. He added that the absence of Rahul would have a negative impact on the UDF across the state. The leaders also fear that the group infighting would again surface in the absence of Rahul contesting from the state.
