THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress high command has entered the most intensive phase of its electoral preparations for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections, summoning KPCC president Sunny Joseph to Delhi.
According to party sources. the meeting with the KPCC president is part of the discussions on candidate selection and campaign strategy as the Congress moves closer to releasing its first list of candidates.
Sunny Joseph reached Delhi on Wednesday. He will have discussions with Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and central election committee head Madhusudan Mistry. AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi, will also be present at the meeting.
The high command has already held discussions with Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who could not attend the meeting as he is busy with his ‘Puthuyuga Yatra’.
As TNIE reported earlier, the Congress is planning to release its first list of candidates, comprising sitting MLAs, by February 22, except in Palakkad and Tripunithura. Sitting MLAs are expected to retain their places on the list.
As Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, was expelled from Congress, the leadership is trying to find a potential candidate for Palakkad, whereas in Tripunithura, sitting MLA K Babu has informed the party leadership of his willingness to stay away from the election.
The second phase of candidate selection is likely to start after the culmination of Satheesan’s Puthuyuga Yatra on March 7.
“The leadership faces a hard work ahead as it has to tread carefully to address every aspect of the selection process,” said a KPCC office-bearer.
Though the party has declared that winnability is the sole factor for candidate selection, it may have to succumb to pressure from various sections, including community organisations and religious groups.
According to Congress sources, this will be a crucial period as each CM aspirant will try to ‘recruit’ his own supporters into the candidate list.
“With AICC organisational general secretary K C Venugopal making an unexpected entry to the race for the CM post, alongside V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala, candidate selection will be a challenge to the high command as well,” said a Congress MLA.
To meet Rahul Gandhi
Sunny Joseph reached Delhi on Wednesday. He will have discussions with Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and central election committee head Madhusudan Mistry. AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi, will also be present at the meeting.