Even as the standoff between the warring Kerala Congress (M) factions over the Kuttanad seat continues, all eyes are now on a high power committee meeting convened by the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kochi on February 29.
The meeting, to be attended by IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty, senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy, KC(M) faction leader P.J. Joseph and Jose K. Mani, is expected to work out a deal between the rival groups.
“Considering that the bypoll is most likely to take place in the second half of April and that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has almost zeroed in on its candidate, the UDF cannot allow the KC(M) groups to continue with their self-defeating war as witnessed during the Pala byelection. Hence, a final decision regarding the allocation of seat will be taken during this meeting,’’ said a senior UDF leader.
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While Mr. Joseph has already expressed his interest in fielding Jacob Abraham as the candidate, the rival group has kick started candidate selection procedure for the seat. As part of it, a sub-committee led by Thomas Chazhikadan, MP, held consultations with party workers and leaders at Ramankaray on Wednesday.
According to Mr. Chanzhikadan, suggestions have been received from the party leaders and office-bearers from the Kuttanad Assembly segment and based on it, the committee will prepare a list of possible candidates for consideration of the party high power committee. Besides the MP, senior party leaders, including Joseph M. Puthussery, V.T. Joseph, V.C. Francis and Jacob Thomas Arikupuram took part in the interactions.
Meanwhile, rumours are rife that the Joseph group may be open to a proposal on giving the seat to the Congress in exchange of the Muvattupuzha seat. According to these reports, senior leader Joseph Vazhakkan and the Alappuzha District Congress Committee president M. Liju were among the names under consideration of the Congress as its candidate in Kuttanad.
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The group leaders, however, sought to dismiss these reports at the first place and pointed out that the seat belonged to the Joseph group since 1979. “It was the KC(M) founder K.M. Mani, who issued a whip for Mr. Abraham to contest in the Assembly election of 2016,’’ said a senior Joseph group leader.