Who from the Congress will contest against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his pocket borough of Dharmadam in Kannur? That is the question facing the state Congress leadership. According to multiple reports, the state unit of the party—with leader Mullappally Ramachandran as the main instigator—wants Kannur strongman MP K. Sudhakaran to contest from Dharmadam, but the district unit is keen on K. Raghunathan, a Sudhakaran loyalist. Amid ongoing meetings, Sudhakaran on Thursday noon said he will announce his decision soon.
If Sudhakaran takes on Pinarayi, both arch-rivals, the Dharmadam contest could become exciting. Otherwise, the results are a foregone conclusion as the CPI(M) leader had won from this CPI(M) bastion by over 50 per cent vote margin last time. With such radical moves, the Congress wants to convey to the voters that it would challenge both the BJP and the left vehemently.
Top two state leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala are holding talks with Sudhakaran. However, the leadership has allowed Sudhakaran full liberty on this matter and he won't be pressurised to enter the fray against the CM.
On Wednesday, a dozen local functionaries of the party and the United Democratic Front in Dharmadam had requested Sudhakaran to become the candidate against Vijayan. They had called on him last week also to convey the wish so that Vijayan has a worthy opponent. While conceding that his supporters have been raising such a demand, Sudhakaran, who is also the working president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), had said that he cannot give in to everyone's wishes. But he reportedly conveyed to the colleagues that their demand would be considered if the high command asks him to contest.
-Inputs from Onmanorama