Final Congress List for Kerala Polls Only by March End

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  The final candidates list of Congress for the upcoming Assembly polls will be ready only by the end of this month, said KPCC president V M Sudheeran.  Sudheeran told mediapersons that the recommended candidates list from the DCC’s for various segments will get a final shape by Wednesday. Then, it will be submitted to the Congress high command for further vetting,he said. Even as seat sharing talks are underway without any conclusive results so far, a mood has set in the Congress and UDF to not rush with the finalising of candidates. However,  the IUML has scripted a record of sorts last week by announcing 20 of its nominees, including sitting MLA’s and ministers for the polls.

Congress to Contest in More Seats:Thankachan

Meanwhile, UDF convenor P P Thankachan maintained that the Congress would be contesting on few seats over and above the 82 seats, which the party had contested in the 2011 polls. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Thankachan said the general principle in seat sharing among UDF partners would be allotting sitting seats to the respective constituents holding it. “The determining factor goal will be winnability of the candidates. The UDF firmly believes that there will be a continuation of  a government. People are totally averse to the politics of murder and violence championed by the CPM and the LDF bid to give development a go-by by raking trivial and baseless allegations.  They are also against the communal agenda espoused by the BJP,” he asserted.

‘No Lotus Bloom’

On the probability of a lotus bloom in state, he said that the UDF does not believe that the BJP will be able to open an account in the Assembly polls. “Look at the contradictions in Kummanam Rajasekharan’s claims when he took over as BJP state president and what he is up to now. Kerala has a secular mind. Will it accept BJP? he asked.

UDF to Meet on March 9

The UDF convenor said that issues pertaining to seat sharing in the UDF partners will be settled amicably. “The first phase of  discussions is almost over. The UDF will meet again at 9 am on March 9. After filing nominations for UDF candidates A K Antony and M P Veerendrakumar for the Rajyasabha seats at 11 am, the talks would resume.

Talks with KC(M)

The bilateral talks with the Kerala Congress (M) are scheduled to begin at 6 pm,” he said. “Naturally, the excess nine seats available after the exit of KC(B), CMP faction, JSS etc., from the UDF will be shared among the remaining partners. The number of Congress seats will also go up accordingly,” he said.

remarks on Panel: Thankachan Expresses Regrets

T’Puram: UDF convener P P Thankachan has expressed regrets over his remarks against the Solar Commission, in an apparent move to avert a conflict and avoid likely strictures from the latter. Thankachan said that he had aired comments “on the basis of false information”. “I shouldn’t have rushed into such conclusions and comments,” he told mediapersons here on Monday. “I haven’t personally insulted the Solar Commission,” he added. The Judicial Commission probing the solar scam had on February 18 served notice on Thankachan and the state government for criticising the commission. While the deposition and examination of witnesses were going on in connection with the solar case, Thankachan had stated that the Commission had crossed its limits. The UDF convener’s comments were billed by the Commission as having “serious nature”, and also for the fact that it was made when many, including UDF MLA’s, were set to depose before it. It was the other day that Rural Development Minister K C Joseph also tendered an apology through an FB post, for his remarks against a High Court judge. The HC had insisted that the minister should appear in person and express regrets in the same manner he had pleaded for clemency after the court pulled him up.

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