Kottayam: Will Oommen Chandy contest the Lok Sabha polls due next year? Is the Congress party planning to field him in Idukki constituency? These are two questions for which the political circles in Kerala need answers as some media reports suggested the possibilities.
The reports said the opposition party in Kerala will leave no stone unturned while picking candidates this time as it needs to send as many members as possible to the Parliament from the state where it still has a strong vote base. A candidate of the stature of Chandy could be the best bet this time to wrest the hilly constituency, believed to be a stronghold of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, as per the reports.
Onmanorama asked the questions to none other than Chandy and the answer was a big 'No'. The Congress veteran and two-time chief minister of Kerala rubbished the reports saying there have been no such proposal or discussion in the party. Rejecting the reports as rumours, Chandy on Thursday said he does not believe that his party would take such a decision. He said the reports were based on his comment to a TV channel that he would take a call (on whether to contest or not) if his party takes such a decision.
Chandy's scheduled attendance in two party functions in Idukki was perceived as a signal about his possible candidature. He spoke at a farmers' function in Thodupuzha on Thursday whereas his programme at Kattappana was cancelled due to ill-health.
Former minister and a close associate of Chandy, K C Joseph also rubbished the reports as baseless. "We haven't had any discussion on Lok Sabha polls in any party forum until now. All reports about possible candidates are baseless," he told Onmanorama over phone.
The talks about Chandy entering the Lok Sabha poll fray were triggered after he was appointed AICC general secretary (in charge of Andhra) earlier this year. The move was perceived as the party's attempt to make use of the senior leader's experience at the national level. There were even reports that he may be fielded from Kottayam constituency in case UDF ally Kerala Congress (M) cedes the seat to Congress in lieu of another constituency.
A senior Congress leader in Kottayam ruled out such a possibility saying "Chandy will never leave his Puthuppally constituency and Kerala." "He would stay in Kerala and become the chief minister again after next assembly polls," the leader said.
Faction plot?
A source, who did not wish to be identified, said it was suspected that some 'A' faction leaders had deliberately planted the news about Chandy contesting from Idukki in a bid to checkmate an 'I' faction leader who is one of the front-runners for the candidature in the Lok Sabha segment.
CPM-led LDF backed independent Joyce George represents Idukki now. He defeated Congress' Dean Kuriakose by 50,542 votes in 2014. Since 1984, the UDF had been winning the seat with Congress leaders being elected six times. The UDF considers it as a key constituency which it can win back by fielding a strong candidate.
