THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The party workers who took part in the district committee meeting held on Sunday has expressed dissent over including G Stephen instead of V K Madhu in the draft list of candidates to be fielded from Aruvikkara.

Even though, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who helmed the meet representing the state leadership rejected the dissent of the district committee members but said that the final decision on the issue will be only taken at the state secretariat meet to be held today. Kodiyeri who explained the reasons for implementing the two-term norm to the party members also added that even the chief minister has said that he won’t contest next time as the norm is also applicable to him.

However, leaders like Karamana Hari, S S Rajalal and M M Hari contended Kodiyeri saying that the district committee recommended Madhu for candidature and on the basis of the district committee’s command he has also started campaign activities but Kodiyeri asked if the district committee is directed to furnish the draft list how it could be considered as the final decision.

“Certain names from the draft list sent by district committees will be considered and some will be ignored. Fielding usual faces in all elections must be stopped. In West Bengal, only the same ministers have contested repeatedly in the last 30 years of the left regime and you know what had happened there. Thomas Issac and G Sudhakaran are ministers and they have contested three or four terms. The new entrants can only prove their abilities if they are given a chance. When A Sampath contested to Lok Sabha for the first time only three members from the district committee have supported him,” Kodiyeri said.

Meanwhile, certain leaders in the district committee said that if balancing communal equations is the issue, then the committee has the right to take a call on such issues. Some also criticised that Kadakampally’s functioning in the Kazhakootam constituency was unilateral in nature.