PATHANAMTHITTA: The Congress has staked claim to Tiruvalla seat, hitherto contested by the Kerala Congress. A 19-member Congress team from the constituency, including KPCC secretaries N Shailaj and Sathish Kochuparambil, sent a letter to the AICC leadership seeking intervention. The leaders hinted at fielding former Rajya Sabha deputy chairman and MP P J Kurian in the constituency.
The leaders pointed out that the Kerala Congress lacks adequate strength and with Jose K Mani faction leaving the front, the existing cadre are with the LDF fold. Moreover, the party candidate lost in the last two assembly elections, the leaders said.
However, in the last Lok Sabha elections, the UDF candidate cornered sizeable majority margin over the LDF candidate from the constituency. Countering the claim of the Congress leaders over the constituency, Kerala Congress (Joseph) district president Victor T Thomas said the party had the legitimate right over Tiruvalla constituency on the strength of the party.“If the Congress is taking over the seat from us, we should be given the Aranmula constituency where the party is having a formidable presence,” Victor T Thomas said. He said the Congress is not in a position to win the Tiruvalla constituency alone.