KOCHI : The state Congress finds itself at a crossroads on the path to deciding its candidate for the Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat. The party rank and file is backing AICC general secretary K C Venugopal to wrest the constituency from the CPM. A win, however, would require 61-year-old Venugopal to vacate his Rajya Sabha seat, from Rajasthan, giving the party -- which does not have enough MLAs to retain it -- one less representation in the Upper House.
The Congress high command is keen on fielding senior leaders in the upcoming general election, which is being largely viewed as a do-or-die battle for the grand old party. But, Venugopal’s case is being viewed differently. The party’s parliamentary board is scheduled to meet in New Delhi. Sources maintain that a decision on Venugopal’s candidacy will be made at the meeting with a declaration in the next two days.
Venugopal is considered the best bet for a seat he has previously represented twice. “Venugopal is a prominent face at the national level and this would give the party an edge in Alappuzha. However, his win would result in the Congress losing a Rajya Sabha seat. At this juncture, the high command cannot allow this. Besides, it is imperative that the candidate list maintains a communal balance. The decision would be made by the national leadership,” said a top leader.
The recent defeat of national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Himachal Pradesh has forced the leadership to rethink its position on losing another seat in Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA is nearing the majority of 250.
Meanwhile, Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil, and KPCC spokesperson Anil Bose, who is also the national coordinator of the Unorganised Workers and Employees Congress, are the names doing the rounds for Alappuzha, in case Venugopal is not in the fray. The candidacy of Rahul, who was recently arrested for protesting against the LDF government, will add a dash of youth to the party list. Anil, hailing from Kuttanad, was at the forefront of the agitation of paddy farmers who were denied their procurement price.
A section of leaders is of the view that as there is no Muslim in the Congress list a leader from the community would be fielded from the seat.
The Congress screening committee had decided to field all sitting MPs, including Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, and proposed Venugopal’s name for Alappuzha. Now talk is of Rahul moving out of the
state. Moreover, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran, who decided not to retain his Kannur seat to focus on the statewide campaign, has now agreed to be in the fray, if the high command so desires.
The wait for the AICC’s decision on candidates for Wayanad, Kannur and Alappuzha has, however, prolonged the announcement of party candidates.
Seniors to bat for Congress
The Congress high command is keen on fielding senior leaders in the upcoming general election
Venugopal is considered the best bet for a seat he has previously represented twice
Rahul Mamkootathil, and Anil Bose are the rumoured names for Alappuzha, in case Venugopal is not in the fray