State leadership not to field MPs in assembly polls; high command to take final decision

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress state leadership is of the stand that MPs need not contest the assembly elections. Leaders from Kerala will inform about this in the talks to be held with the high command today. The team led by opposition leader V D Satheesan and KPCC President Sunny Joseph will hold talks with Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The situation in the state will be assessed. Discussion on the candidates will also be held.

Shashi Tharoor MP will abstain from the meeting convened to discuss poll preparations and UDF prospects after he was ill-treated by Rahul Gandhi at the Mahapanchayat in Ernakulam. It is reported that he will also skip from the assembly election campaign. Congress leaders in the state are also not ready to persuade Tharoor.

Meantime, the high command has to take a final decision on the MPs contesting polls. The Congress leadership has reached an agreement to field majority of the sitting MLAs. Instead of Rahul Mamkootathila and K Babu, new candidates will come in Palakkad and Tripunithura constituencies. If KPCC president Sunny Joseph contests from Peravoor, today's meeting will also discuss who should replace him as KPCC president.