Thiruvananthapuram: With friction over candidate selection continuing unabated, Congress’s list of prospectives fails to make headway. At several places, infighting within local groups and their leaders escalated to new levels. In some constituencies, groups of workers took to streets in support for their leaders. And, amid all these, resignations and threats to resign over candidate selection continues to grow. Meanwhile, with eye to leverage from the situation, BJP has put off finalising its candidates list.
33 Booth Presidents Resign: Thrissur
33 booth presidents tendered resignation in protest of fielding TK Saneesh Kumar as candidate and over hundred more have threatened to follow suit. Leaders in Irinjalakuda, Chellakkara and Kodungalur too are on the verge of leaving.
10 DCC Members Headed For Exit
In Kasaragod, 10 office bearers at DCC are close to resigning their posts, over seat given to Joseph group in Thrikaril and for selecting Balakrishnan Periya as Uduma candidate. Those open about their plans to resigne include DCC president Hakeem Kunnil, UDF convener A Govindan Nair, KPCC Secretary K Neelakantan.
Malappuram DCC Opposes Siddique
DCC President VV Prakash has threatened to resign should T Siddique be fielded as Nilambur candidate. KPCC General Secretary NA Kareeem signaled identical reaction. Ponnani too continues to witness continued arguments over seat allocation.
Resignation Threats Over Perrumedu in Idukki
5 Block Presidents, 15 DCC office bearers and 30 Mandalam presidents have threatened to resign should Peerumedu seat be allocated to Roy K Paulose.
UDF Discontent Over Gen Secretary’s Candidacy
There is wide opposition against including KPCC General Secretary PA Niyas in the list of prospective candidates.
Protests in Thripunithura and Vypin
INTUC held demonstrations in Vypin against importing a candidate from outside. In Thripunithura demonstrations hit streets both for and against K Babu’s candidacy.
Palakkad Unrest
Opposition is rife among Congressmen in Palakkad over lending Kongad seat to Muslim League and that of Nenmara to CMPK. The protest headed by PV Gopinath has not lulled yet.
Congress Office Bearers to Keep Away in Bepur; Anit-Niaz Posters Surface
Congress workers in Bepur demonstrated against fielding KPCC Gen. Secretary PM Niyaz in Bepur. His candidacy there would mean boycotting of polls by 9 office bearers at bhooth, mandalam, block and district levels, in charge of organisational affairs. In view of emerging circumstances, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran wrote a letter to all 9 jointly.
It was first decided to lend Bepur seat to Muslim League. Congress later decided to keep the seat and allocated Perambra to the League instead. The initial list comprised names including native and novelist from the constituency, MA Shahna. However, Niyaz navigated to top of the list sidelining all those names. Party workers stand ground in their refusal to acknowledge Niyaz - a KC Venupgopal faction member- as candidate there.
Posters under the aegis of “Congress Koottayima” appeared around the constituency, opposing Niyaz’s candidacy. The posters claim, Niyaz acted on bribe during local body elections and worked against the Congress candidate.
