The Hindu : Uncertainty on Congress list prevails

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Uncertainty on Congress list prevails

By Anita Joshua

NEW DELHI APRIL 1. Eight senior Congressmen from Kerala, including two former Union Ministers, feature in the final shortlist of candidates for the coming Rajya Sabha elections from the State. Though the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K. Muraleedharan, was hopeful of a decision by this evening, the issue was being discussed threadbare till late.

Briefing mediapersons here late this afternoon after meeting the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the AICC general secretary in charge of the State, Ambika Soni, the KPCC president said eight names were under active consideration and a decision was imminent by evening. However, late this evening, Mr. Muraleedharan had another unscheduled meeting with Ms. Soni at the AICC headquarters even as the matter was being discussed on the telephone by the high command with the State leadership.

Apart from the names already in circulation -- the AICC general secretary, Vayalar Ravi, the former MP, P. C. Chacko, and the Kozhikode District Congress Committee president, Kodoth Govindan Nair -- the list includes the former Union Ministers, P. J. Kurien and K. P. Unnikrishnan, the KPCC vice-president, T. Basheer, the former MP, A. Charles, and the former Speaker, P. P. Thankachan.

Stating that he had presented his view to Ms. Gandhi, Mr. Muraleedharan said the KPCC had not recommended any names. ``Over the past week, the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, the senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, and I have discussed the issue with Ms. Gandhi and given our opinion. No recommendations have been made. The final decision will be that of the high command which has not intervened in any way till now.''

Barring Mr. Nair, the other seven in the reckoning are said to have done their rounds of the AICC and lobbied hard. Though the KPCC was said to have zeroed in on Mr. Ravi and Mr. Chacko, the latter's candidature was openly opposed by Mr. Karunakaran. This paved the way for Mr. Nair's entry into the fray.

That there are differences within the KPCC over the nominations was evident from Mr. Muraleedharan's confident contention of being able to iron out the rough spots once the high command made up its mind.

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