Pathanamthitta: The Congress District leadership has officially requested senior party leader and former Defence minister AK Antony to join the campaigns against his son Anil K Antony. Anil is the NDA candidate from Pathanamthitta, where Congress fielded sitting MP Anto Antony for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. 

The Pathanamthitta District Congress Committee (DCC) has formally requested the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to bring the veteran leader as one of its star campaigners in the constituency. 

"AK Antony is the party's working committee member and a star campaigner among its senior leaders. Our workers are longing to see him leading the campaign and the move has nothing to do with his son's candidature," said DCC president Sathish Kochuparambil.

Antony, who quit electoral politics in 2022, has previously expressed his willingness to do anything to prevent the BJP from regaining power at the Centre. But the leader has yet to clarify whether he would campaign in Pathanamthitta, stating that he would do so only if his health permitted.

"He (AK Antony) is 84 now and has retired from parliamentary politics. And even if the entire Congress leadership comes up for campaigning in Pathanamthitta, it will not create the impact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can do in a minute of his campaigning," replied Anil Antony to the questions on whether Antony would participate in the campaign programmes at the constituency.

The Pathanamthitta DCC has also asked Rahul Gandhi as one of its star campaigners. However, the opposition leader VD Satheesan will lead the campaign on April 9, while senior leader Ramesh Chennithala will arrive on April 15. Mariyamma Oommen and Achu Oommen, the wife and daughter of the late Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, are also slated to confirm their participation in the Congress’ electioneering in Pathanamthitta in the coming days.

CPM has fielded former finance minister TM Thomas Isaac in Pathanamthitta for the upcoming polls.