Is Joice George a candidate of the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) or the High Range Protection Council of which he has been an integral part for the past few months now?
The question came from none other than members of the council, who wanted a clarification on the issue. Council patron R. Manikuttan said Mr. George is the council’s candidate and that the views of the Church had a major say in its decision-making process.
The council would put up boards that portray Mr. George as its candidate, he said.
However, Mr. George, a close kin of several Congress leaders in the district, later told media persons that he was an LDF candidate.
“My candidature is based on a minimum programme now and I will have no problem in supporting the LDF’s policies,” he said, but went on to add that the election would be a referendum on the rationale for the council’s formation.
Sources in the CPI(M) later told The Hindu that the LDF will erect separate boards portraying Mr. George as a LDF-backed Independent candidate.
Both Opposition leaders and members of the Kerala Congress (M) and Congress were conspicuous by their absence from the council meeting convened to discuss the formation of election committees in all Assembly constituencies.
