THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite fielding K Muraleedharan with support of the party’s central leadership in BJP’s stronghold—Nemom, speculations have emerged in the district leadership that his candidature has not created an honest intervention of party leaders during the poll campaign. However, Muraleedharan has assured the party leadership that he will secure the assembly seat surpassing such hurdles.

Priyanka reached the capital on March 30. The road show at Nemom was her first programme in the district. On evening 6 pm, after receiving the message that the top leader will reach Poojapura in a chopper, UDF’s Nemom candidate, K Muraleedharan reached Poojapura and started waiting for Priyanka Gandhi. One of the security men informed the candidate that after sunset the chopper may find it difficult to land due to pertinent darkness, at this time, he also received another message that Priyanka Gandhi will reach Kundaman Kadavu via car. Even after waiting there until 8.30 pm, she didn’t arrive. Later, Muraleedharan reached Attukal temple thinking that she will visit there.

It is alleged that certain DCC members who had the charge of the campaign were the ones who kept Muraleedharan in the dark. After Muraleedharan has left Kundaman Kadavu, other leaders reached there with Priyanka Gandhi. Even after repeatedly asking for Muraleedharan, DCC members didn’t respond to Priyanka’s enquiry. In the car, Priyanka was accompanied by translator Jyoti Vijayakumar and Vattiyoorkavu candidate Veena S Nair. The supporters of Muraleedharan thinks that ignoring him was a plot to prevent Priyanka Gandhi from going to Nemom.

His supporters also allege that attempts were made to prevent Priyanka Gandhi from reaching out to Muraleedharan in Attukal temple. When Muraleedharan was waiting outside the temple, the district leaders left the temple along with Priyanka Gandhi through the temple’s backside. Priyanka who later understood the reality, called Muraleedharan via phone the next day and assured him that she will visit Nemom for campaigning.

However, as her husband was tested positive for Covid 19, she couldn’t visit Nemom. It is on the request of Priyanka that Rahul Gandhi visited Nemom and campaigned for Muraleedharan on the last day of the poll campaign.

Even though Congress highlighted Muraleedharan’s candidature as a beacon of fight against BJP, the absence of the KPCC president in the campaign front has set off new discussions among local leaders.

Muralee hopeful

Muraleedhran hopes that the support of NSS, the neutral votes bagged by O Rajagopal last time, and the support of minority Christians and Muslims will help to garner a landslide victory in Nemom. He also thinks that even if the left gets the support of SDPI, it won’t affect his winning prospects.