K Sudhakaran not to back down an inch, meeting with high command vital

NEW DELHI: Despite the Congress' decision restricting MPs from contesting assembly elections, K Sudhakaran has not backed down even an inch. He remains absolutely firm to contest from Kannur seat no matter what happens. He will inform the high command about this today. Even though the party high command asked him to change the decision, Sudhakaran is unwilling to yield. He has reached Delhi to meet the high command and Rahul Gandhi. Before leaving for Delhi, Congress president Mallakarjun Kharge had spoken to Sudhakaran and he told him that he wants to return to state politics.

A section of leaders in the district are against Sudhakaran's stand. They term it as an unnecessary controversy and even wrote a letter to the high command pointing this. Those against Sudhakaran say that the leaders and others should try to secure maximum seats at a time when there are mass disturbances in the district CPM and that his stand will hinder that. However, none of them are ready to take a public stand. The reason for this is Sudhakaran's influence among the party ranks in the district. Meanwhile, a flex board in favor of Sudhakaran has appeared in front of the Kannur DCC office. Sudhakaran has been described as the heart of Kannur.

Meantime, the Congress is likely to announce its candidates today, including those in sitting seats, excluding disputed constituencies. The list of 31 candidates approved by the election committee was to be released earlier after the announcement of the assembly election date. Due to the seat-sharing dispute with the Kerala Congress and other allies, some of the constituencies that had been decided earlier had to be changed. Meantime, the party's explanation is that the discussions are taking longer due to the hospitalization of the screening committee chairman Madhusudan Mistry. KPCC president Sunny Joseph announced that the list will be released after the screening committee and then the central election committee take a decision today. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the discussions are continuing and that since it is an all-India party, it will take time to announce the candidate.

Adoor Prakash MP, who is interested in contesting, obtaining a non-liability certificate from the state government is also confusing the leadership. Efforts are also being made to dissuade him.