LDF sidelines leaders who switched from Congress

KOTTAYAM: More than a dozen leaders, who left the Congress and moved to the Left over the past five years, have not received seats in the LDF. Initially, the LDF welcomed them by considering them in by-elections and giving board or corporation positions, but later they were sidelined. Leaders such as KV Thomas, KP Anilkumar, PS Prashanth, Dr P Sarin, Lathika Subhash, and PM Suresh Babu will not be contesting this time.

KV Thomas left the Congress during the Thrikkakara by-election. He had differences with the Congress party after he expected the Ernakulam seat last time. Later, after joining the LDF, Thomas was appointed as Kerala’s special representative in Delhi with a cabinet-rank position. Although there were rumours that he might contest from Ernakulam this time, he has not been given a seat.

Lathika Subhash left the Congress by publicly shaving her head in front of the Indira Bhavan after accusing the party of denying her the Ettumanoor seat while she was the Mahila Congress state president. She later contested Ettumanoor as an independent candidate. She subsequently became the chairperson of the Forest Development Corporation as part of the NCP. She also contested in the local elections from the Thirunakkara ward in Kottayam municipality and finished third. K Suresh Babu, former KPCC general secretary who moved to the NCP, also did not receive any significant position.

KP Anilkumar and PS Prashanth joined the CPM after K Sudhakaran became KPCC president. Anilkumar was made CPM’s ODEPAK chairman and is currently a district committee member, but he has not been considered for the legislative assembly. PS Prashanth, who left the Congress after losing in Nedumangad, became Devaswom Board president but has not received a seat. Sarin, who left the Congress during the Palakkad by-election, later became a strategic advisor for the Vijnana Kerala program.