THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Malabar Dewaswom Board former president and senior Congress leader from Thalassery, Sajeev Maroli is the likely candidate of the party for Vadakara Lok Sabha seat. Highly-placed sources in the Congress told Express that Maroli, who is from the Backward Thiyya community, is considered for the post owing to several factors, including caste representation, since representation of the Ezhavas in the candidates’ list is poor.
Kozhikode DCC president and Oommen Chandy loyalist T Siddique is the likely candidate for the Wayanad seat.
A senior Congress leader told Express that Chandy is firm on Siddique being given the prestigious Wayanad seat. However, sources told Express Siddique’s candidature is not final. Sources indicated that by bargaining for Wayanad seat, traditionally represented by the ‘I’ group, Chandy has emerged stronger in this game of politicking.
If Siddique contests from Wayanad which is to be finalised by the screening committee, Shanimol Usman will most likely be the party candidate from Alappuzha and Adoor Prakash from Attingal.
Rajmohan Unnithan, whose name was announced for the Kasargod seat, was again contacted by senior leaders from New Delhi to enquire whether he was comfortable with Kasargod and needs a change to Vadakara.
However, sources close to Unnithan told Express that he rejected the proposal and will be reaching Kasargod on Monday morning to start his campaigning. It may be noted that Chandy has firmly emerged in the Congress with several candidates who found a place in the list of party candidates owing allegiance to him.
KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran told Express: “We have already announced the candidates for 12 constituencies and those in the remaining four seats will be finalise on Monday after properly apprising Oommen Chandy and upholding the highest example of democracy”.
The Congress seems to have, however, lost the advantage of fielding a list of senior leaders and with K V Thomas sulking after he was not considered in the list of candidates, the party will have to sweat it out to ensure Hibi Eden’s victory.