THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu was huddled with the top brass of the party on Friday even as uncertainty prevailed over the finalisation of candidates in a couple of constituencies. At the meeting, Kanugolu urged leaders to highlight the anti-incumbency factor against the LDF government during the campaigning for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
After the ‘Samaragni’ yatra finale on Thursday, the meeting of the top brass was held at Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan’s official residence at Cantonment House which went on until the wee hours of Friday. The meeting saw Sunil Kanugolu and K C Venugopal, national general secretary (organization), also attending the meeting. Earlier, Kanugolu held consultations with Harish Chaudhary, the chairman of the screening committee, and one of the members, Jignesh Mevani. A senior Congress leader told TNIE that they had finalised the candidates for 15 constituencies, excluding Alappuzha, which is most likely to see Venugopal contesting from there.
“The midnight meeting did not deliberate on the names of candidates as the ball is now in the court of AICC central election authority. The meeting delved on strategies to be followed during the election campaigning. Kanugolu urged the leadership that they should cash in on the anti-incumbency factor prevailing in the state,” said a senior Congress leader.
Though the steering committee leaders, Deepa Dasmunshi and Perumal Viswanath, AICC general secretary and secretary in-charge of the state respectively, managed to convince a half-hearted Congress state president K Sudhakaran to defend his Kannur seat, he was still fidgety about it. A source close to Sudhakaran told TNIE that he was apprehensive of facing Kannur voters for fear of backlash from them as he has not been nursing his constituency when he was unwell.
“The Congress central leadership is not considering an alternative to Sudhakaran in Kannur. The leadership feels that he is the sole winnable candidate in Kannur which is otherwise a stronghold of the CPM,” said a party source.
Now all eyes are on whether the central election authority will bring in any last-minute changes in the 16 seats in which the Congress is contesting. The party central leadership is expected to ensure communal balancing during the finalisation of candidates which would see at least two women, a person from minority community and two Ezhava candidates in the fray. Meanwhile, a source said that Rahul Gandhi’s candidature will be officially announced only a few days before the nomination papers are submitted.
Poll strategies
The meeting delved on strategies to be followed during the poll campaigning
Central leadership feels Sudhakaran is the sole winnable candidate in Kannur which is otherwise a stronghold of the CPM