Resentment is brewing in the Congress over the selection of Josy Sebastian as the party candidate in the Udumbanchola constituency for the April 13 Assembly elections. It is said that his name was not on the list of candidates submitted by the District Congress Committee for consideration.
Local leaders of the party is reported to have resigned en masse in protest against ‘imposing a candidate' from outside the constituency without considering the will of the party workers and the local leaders. The list of three likely candidates submitted for consideration was kept aside, they said.
It is said that nearly 10 mandalam committee presidents and two block presidents submitted their resignations, alleging that Mr. Sebastian, a resident of Kottayam district, is an unfamiliar face in Idukki. DCC president Roy K. Paulose told The Hindu that he had not received any resignation letters. However, he said he was not aware if other senior functionaries of the party had received them.
The candidates in Udumbanchola and Peerumade were announced on Tuesday night, though the informal list of party contestants in other constituencies was out and the candidates had started campaigning.
In Peerumade, the candidature of E.M. Augusthy was opposed by a section of the Indian National Trade Union Congress even before the party formally announced his name.
The candidature of P.J. Joseph, a Kerala Congress(M) nominee, became a controversy much before the discussion on the candidates' list began in the United Democratic Front, resulting in violent clashes between Congress and KC(M) activists in Thodupuzha.
