The Congress leadership has come under fire for its ‘incomplete and irrational’ candidate selection process for the May 16 Assembly elections. Weeks after launching the process from the grassroots, party leaders have not been able to finalise candidates in over six seats, not to mention the issues over some seats with coalition partners.
The All India Congress Committee released the candidates list on Saturday, deferring selection in three seats – Kalliassery, Kanhangad, and Payyannur. But local opposition in some constituencies has forced the Congress leaders to re-examine some of the nominees. The party made a conscious attempt to correct its pro-minority tilt of 2011 by bringing in a balanced social composition. But it seems the Congress troika of Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala, and V.M. Sudheeran were too much caught in their tussle over five contentious seats. Somewhere down the line, there seems to be a casual approach, at least in the case of seats that have been written off.
The Congress leadership is having second thoughts on Kaipamangalam, Ottappalam, and Devikulam. Owing to the strong pressure mounted by Indian National Trade Union Congress State president R. Chandrasekharan and the Mahila Congress, the party leaders have been forced to redo the selection exercise to provide some kind of accommodation for them. Shanimol Usman is likely to become a candidate in Ottapalam replacing Shanta Jayaraman. In Devikulam, R. Rajaram mat have to make way for an INTUC nominee, while another INTUC nominee may get a chance in Kanhangad,
