Battle royale within UDF for 'prized' Kannur seat; K Sudhakaran ready to give up MP post

KANNUR: With the candidate announcement for the assembly elections almost getting nearer, half a dozen Congress leaders are eyeing a particular seat in Kannur. Now, K Sudhakaran MP has also come forward claiming his eligibility to contest from the prized Kannur constituency. The UDF had a lead of about fifteen thousand votes in the constituency in the local body elections.

K Sudhakaran has already expressed his desire to become an MLA and a minister if UDF returns to power. Party insiders say that K Sudhakaran had already received permission from the high command to contest the assembly. However, the KPCC leadership is not in favour of this move as other MPs will likely follow suit to contest in the state assembly if Sudhakaran is given a concession.

Former mayor T O Mohanan, corporation councillor Rijil Chandran Makkutty, KPCC member Amrutha Ramakrishnan and KSU state vice-president Muhammed Shammas are eyeing the Kannur constituency seat. The credit of retaining Kannur corporation gives strength T O Mohanan's claim.

Rijil Makkutty's strength is his dazzling victory in the Adikadalayi division. Amrutha Ramakrishnan, the daughter of N Ramakrishnan, who won from Kannur constituency and became a minister in 1991, is also a former councillor.

Although KSU vice-president, Muhammed Shammas, is also conducting political activities centred around the Kannur constituency. The UDF has a majority of more than a quarter of a lakh in the Lok Sabha elections and a lead of close to 15,000 in the local body elections in the Kannur constituency. LDF is most likely to field Ramachandran Kadannappally this time too. The UDF lost the Kannur constituency by a narrow margin of less than 2000 votes in the last two assembly elections. UDF is highly hoepful of Kannur leaning towards them in the upcoming polls.