Kochi : Announcing candidate early was intended to prevent fight amongst one another, the move however has ran Congress into trouble from the start. For the second straight day, leaders have come out with open criticism of both Uma Thomas’s candidature and the manner in which it was decided upon. The leadership is shocked by dissent that's rising even from those standing close by it. There is wide dissent among Congress workers throughout the constituency. Only, they’re not talking it aloud.
On Wednesday, AICC member KV thomas, KPCC General Secretary Deepti Mary Varghese and former MLA Shanimol Usman lashed out at K Sudhakaran and VD Satheesan, more specifically at their style of functioning. it is only recently that UDF district Chairman Dominic Presentation and DCC General Secretary MB Muraleedharan came out against candidate selection recently. The assumption was that no one will react out of respect for the deceased leader. That calculation just fell flat.
KV Thomas said, in capacity as AICC member, he was not spoken to about candidate selection nor informed of the district leaders meeting. "I am given to understand there were no discussions with either Dominic Presentation who is also the District Chairman or K Babu MLA or the constituency’s office bearers," said KV Thomas.
Deepti Mary Varghese lashed out saying nobody told her anything about candidate selection and she has no idea as to who might be spoken to by the the leadership. “I shall speak all that I wish to at the meeting,” said Deepti, a person who is part of the Opposition Leader’s group. Incidentally, Deepti – a resident of the constituency - spoke her discontent from near the very venue where VD Satheesan bragged that opposition to candidate selection was only localised and that he knows how to deal with it.
Of late, there is no discussion as such on candidate selection, said Shanimol Usman in Alappuzha, adding that, just two people making the decision and asking others not to resist it will not work. Uma Thomas’s candidacy, one that was announced without consulting the constituency office bearers, will not be accepted, said ex-Councilor MB Muraleedharan recently.
Shortly before the candidate selection, Dominic Presentation had criticised the manner in which it was being done. And, although he attended the UDF meeting Wednesday after phone call from Oomen Chandy, he remains largely discontent with the situation. Following ultimatum from the leadership, Deepti Mary too visited the candidate last evening.
