THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Jamaat-e-Islami and P V Anvar canvassing for Malappuram DCC president V S Joy’s candidature publicly and KPCC general secretary Aryadan Shoukath refusing to withdraw his claim, the Congress party has started looking for a third candidate for Nilambur bypoll to salvage the situation.
Anvar had met senior Congress leaders the other day and asserted that he would support only Joy and any other candidate would upset Congress’ chances in Nilambur. This has irked a large section of top leadership in the Congress and IUML. But what seems to be hurting Joy’s chances more is Jamaat-e-Islami’s open backing of Joy.
This has irked traditional Muslim organisations like Kerala Samsthana Jamiyyathul Ulama, Kerala Samsthana Jamiyyathul Ulama (AP Sunnis) and Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen. “How can Congress allow an extremist group like Jamaat-e-Islami to dictate terms?’’ asked a Samastha leader.
The IUML state leadership is also not happy with the way Anvar is interfering in the candidate selection of Congress though he is not even part of UDF.
“Only Anvar has to be blamed for this state of affairs,” a top League leader told TNIE on condition of anonymity. “ Anvar definitely has some votes in the constituency. And the UDF is ready to listen to his opinion. But he has destroyed all the political edge the UDF had in this by-election by openly announcing his support for Joy,” he said.
With the political situation getting complicated as days pass by, the Congress has started looking for an amicable solution so that its prospects in Nilambur, one of the strongest bastions of the party in Malabar, are not affected. Former minister Aryadan Muhammed was elected from Nilambur eight consecutive times. And now with Anwar switching sides, the Congress party is quite hopeful of re-capturing Nilambur. “It is a safe seat for us, provided this public spat does not spoil it,’’ said a KPCC general secretary.
“We are looking at all options including a third candidate,’’ a senior Congress leader told TNIE.
According to sources, KPCC state secretary and former Malappuram DCC general secretary K P Noushad Ali has emerged strong contender. His name is learnt to have been proposed by a section of Congress leaders in Nilambur. “He is a popular face in Malappuram and will be a good choice as both Joy and Aryadan Shoukath are fighting out in the open. If one of them is chosen, the other will scuttle the chances. It is better to avoid such a scenario and go for a third candidate,’’ said the leader.
The name of former KPCC president K Muraleedharan is also doing rounds in party circles.