Severe threat: Leaders scramble to tame rebels with only a day left to withdraw nominations

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With tomorrow being the last day to withdraw nomination papers in the local body elections, the fronts are making a last-ditch effort to dissuade the rebels. This is the main task today. The rebel threat is that severe.

The fronts have tasked district and state leaders to resolve the dispute and get the rebels to withdraw their nominations. The CPM has decided to expel those who do not yield from the party. The UDF and the NDA have adopted the path of compromise.

The CPM expelled K Sreekantan and Ani Ashokan, local committee members of Ulloor and Chembazhanthi, who had contested in protest of not getting a seat in the capital district. Local committee member KV Mohanan of Vazhottukonam is a rebel. In the UDF, there are rebels in Punchakkari, Kazhakoottam and Poundukadavu wards. The rebels are INTUC district general secretary P Lalu in Kazhakkoottam, former Congress block president Sudheesh in Poundukadav, and former councilor Krishnaveni in Punchakari. There are rebels in both the UDF and NDA in Varkala, Neyyattinkara, and Nedumangad municipalities.

The CPM-CPI dispute in the Left Front is what led to the rebels in Kollam. Both parties are contesting head-to-head in the Kottamkara, Ilamballur and Perayam panchayat wards. The rebel problem is acute in the UDF in Kottayam. The reason is dissatisfaction with the seat distribution. The Vaikom seat won by the League in the district panchayat and the Vellore seat by the Kerala Congress (Joseph) were returned, saying they were not likely to win. The Congress district leadership is in marathon discussions.

The Youth Congress is the rebel in Alappuzha. Youth Congress District President Praveen is protesting against the announcement of A.R. Kannan as a candidate in the Ambalappuzha District Panchayat. The NDA is also under threat from rebels in the district.

Tension is higher for the UDF in Idukki too. Although the KPCC directly nominated candidates in the Painavu, Upputhara, Karimannoor, Adimali and Vellathooval district divisions, they were not accepted due to group warfare. The KC Venugopal faction and the woman candidate in Thodupuzha Municipality are rebels in Kattappana Municipality. The consensus discussion is at the KPCC level.

Jithin, a member of the CPM Chakkamukku branch committee, is a rebel against LDF's P Hari in Kottappuram, Thrissur. Party worker CR Sujith is contesting against the BJP candidate in the Thrissur municipality. Sujith's complaint is that he was denied a seat under pressure from Padmaja. There are also rebels in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.