PALAKKAD: Even as Congress top leaders publicly insist that the party is yet to formally begin the process of candidate selection for the upcoming assembly elections, intense internal manoeuvring has already commenced for a set of constituencies in Palakkad district that the party internally views as “safe” seats.
“It is no secret that Palakkad is being watched very closely by the central and state leadership,” said a senior Congress leader familiar with the discussions. “Based on local body election results and organisational feedback, certain constituencies are being categorised as sure or near-sure wins,” he said.
Highly placed sources said senior leaders K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala are actively tracking political developments in Chittur, Pattambi, Nemmara, Palakkad and Thrithala.
As per the current internal understanding, Chittur is almost settled in favour of the new municipal chairperson, Sumesh Achuthan. Barring last-minute changes, that seat is unlikely to be disturbed. For Pattambi seat, the party local leaders are looking for a Muslim face from within the party. Earlier there were reports that the seat will be given to IUML in exchange of the Kongad seat. Thrithala is being firmly claimed by KPCC vice-president V T Balram, who represented the constituency twice before losing to LSGD Minister M B Rajesh in 2021.
With Chittur, Pattambi and Thrithala largely accounted for, the real contest has narrowed to Nemmara and Palakkad, where lobbying has intensified sharply. For the Palakkad assembly seat, DCC president A Thankappan is widely viewed as the frontrunner. “Thankappan currently enjoys the backing of influential leaders at the top,” a source said. “That gives him an edge.”
However, the equation could change if the party decides to accommodate a close aide of Shafi Parambil, MP. “If that happens, there is a strong possibility that Thankappan could be shifted to Nemmara,” another source indicated, stating that Shafi still has say on the Palakkad seat, even after the Rahul Mamkootathil episode.
Adding a further layer to the internal debate is a growing demand within the party for a woman candidate from Palakkad district. Two names have emerged prominently: Thulasi Sreekandan, KPCC general secretary and wife of Palakkad MP V K Sreekandan, and Lekshmi R Chandran, district president of Sasthra Vedhi, a pro-Congress science collective. Both are professors at NSS College, Nemmara.
“There is a clear push for a credible woman face,” a KPCC office-bearer said. “Both names have their own strengths.” There is also talk that former MP Remya Haridas could be accommodated in Kongad, a seat currently held by the IUML. “Seat adjustments with the League are very much on the table. One proposal under discussion is an exchange of Kongad for Pattambi,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Tarur, Ottappalam, Nemmara, Alathur and Shoranur are being internally assessed as tightly contested constituencies. “These seats will require careful candidate selection and aggressive campaigning,” a district-level strategist noted.
The party is also actively looking for a fresh and energetic face in Malampuzha, where its candidate S K Ananthakrishnan finished third in the 2021 elections with just 21.66 per cent of the vote, far behind CPM’s A Prabhakaran, who secured victory with a 46.41 per cent vote share. “Malampuzha needs a complete reset,” a Congress leader admitted. With multiple power centres asserting influence and informal consultations gaining momentum, Palakkad is all set to witness complex theatres of internal negotiation for the Congress ahead of the assembly polls.