Congress selection crisis: High Drama in Delhi as Kerala list hits roadblocks

NEW DELHI: The Congress party faced a double-edged crisis yesterday as candidate selection discussions hit a stalemate. On one hand, there was mounting pressure due to an earlier-than-expected polling date (previously anticipated for late April). On the other, unexpected internal disputes—most notably involving K. Sudhakaran—sent Delhi’s Congress centres into a state of high tension.

Discussions that were slated to conclude on Tuesday dragged late into last night, causing a delay in the release of the second list of candidates. The party leadership was particularly troubled by Sudhakaran’s refusal to accept the high command's stance that sitting MPs should not contest the assembly elections. Despite multiple attempts at persuasion, Sudhakaran remained firm, even threatening to address the media yesterday.

Persuasion Efforts and Postponed Meetings

After Ramesh Chennithala’s initial attempt to sway Sudhakaran failed, General Secretary K.C. Venugopal intervened with a late-night visit on Tuesday. While Sudhakaran did not immediately change his stance, leadership felt a brief sense of relief when he agreed to postpone his press conference. M.K. Raghavan, MP, also met with Sudhakaran yesterday morning.

The selection process was further prolonged by disagreements over approximately ten seats where multiple candidates were proposed. Consequently, the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting, originally scheduled for this morning, was pushed to 4:00 PM.

Discussions rotated between Kerala House, the new party headquarters at Indira Bhavan, and the former office on Akbar Road. Once the CEC convened, they prioritised the list for Assam and Puducherry before finally addressing Kerala. Leaders V.D. Satheesan and Sunny Joseph are expected to return to Kerala today to begin campaigning.

Key Developments

• Eldhose Kunnappilly’s Presence: Perumbavoor MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly, currently embroiled in sexual harassment allegations, was active in Delhi seeking a seat. However, party leadership reportedly gave him little consideration. Notably, the usual crowd of aspiring candidates at Kerala House was absent this year.

M.K. Raghavan’s Stance:

• The Kozhikode MP clarified that Screening Committee Chairman Madhusudan Mistry had asked him to contest an assembly seat to bolster Congress’s presence in the Kozhikode district. Raghavan stated:

"The request was to contest a difficult seat to increase our tally. However, I have not formally requested a seat as my Lok Sabha term is ongoing. The goal is to ensure UDF wins all 13 seats in Kozhikode."

Unnithan’s Objection:

• Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan voiced strong opposition to sitting MPs contesting, arguing it would damage the party's image and set a dangerous precedent. He also expressed concerns regarding the candidacy of Balakrishnan Periya in Thrikaripur, citing past harm to the party. Following his objection, reports suggest that Sandeep Warrier, a recent departee from the BJP, is now being considered for the Thrikaripur seat.