New Delhi: K Muraleedharan, who is currently a Member of Parliament from Vadakara, is likely to be the Congress candidate in Nemom constituency in the upcoming Assembly election. As part of a strategic move to field a strong candidate in Nemom and capture the seat from BJP, the Congress high command has summoned Muraleedharan to Delhi.
A directive was issued by the party that MPs should seek the special permission of the high command to contest the Assembly election. Muraleedharan had earlier secured the Vattiyoorkavu Assembly seat in Thiruvananthapuram district for the Congress in a tight three-cornered fight. Moreover, the Vadakara MP has made it clear that he was prepared to contest from any constituency suggested by the high command.
The Congress feels that it can create a wave in its favour across Kerala by fielding a top leader at Nemom and as part of this move, the names of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala were considered. But, Muraleedharan emerged as the frontrunner after Chandy reportedly declined to contest from the constituency in Thiruvananthapuram.
Protests too were staged in front of Chandy’s house in his native Puthuppally by Congress activists demanding that he should contest from the constituency in Kottayam district. Chandy subsequently said that considering the wishes of the party workers, he preferred to fight the polls from Puthuppally, but the high command could take a suitable decision. The senior leader also made it clear he was not prepared to contest from two constituencies.
At the same time, the LDF candidate in Nemom, V Sivankutty of CPM, has already started his campaign. The BJP’s O Rajagopal, who had won the lone seat of the party in the 2016 Assembly election, is likely to be replaced by Kummanam Rajasekharan, a former state president of the party.
Other seats
Meanwhile, the announcement regarding the constituencies of Chandy and other party leaders K Babu, Bindu Krishna and P C Vishnunath would be made soon. While Chandy is slated to contest from his bastion Puthuppally, Babu would be fighting to regain Tripunithura, Bindu Krishna is likely to be fielded at Kollam and Vishnunath in Kundara.
However, Congress is yet to finalise its candidates for Pattambi and Nilambur.
In Tripunithura, Babu said that he had received instructions from Chandy and Chennithala to contest from the seat. Also, local party leaders had met state office-bearers on Saturday and warned that they would quit in case a candidate other than Babu was chosen for Tripunithura. Similarly, Bindu Krishna said that she would start campaigning in Kollam on Sunday.
The Congress is also planning to field K P Anil Kumar in Vattiyoorkavu, where a three-cornered contest is on the cards.
