KOTTAYAM: Two bitter rival Kerala Congress factions are clashing in Kottayam after 47 years. Kerala Congress had fielded Thomas Chazhikadan as its candidate before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections itself. A top leader informed that Chairman PJ Joseph will announce the name of Francis George in the Kottayam party state committee meeting at 11 am tomorrow.

As the Muslim League has demanded a third seat, the announcement of the UDF candidate for the entire seat will be delayed. The move of the Joseph faction was after taking special permission because of this situation. With BDJS securing the Kottayam seat in NDA, the campaign for party president Thushar Vellappally as a candidate intensified. With this, the image of prominent front candidates contesting in Kottayam became clear before the announcement of elections itself.

In 1977, when Skariah Thomas of the Mani Group as the candidate of the Congress-CPI-Muslim League Front and Varki George as the candidate of the CPM-Kerala Congress Balakrishna Pillai Group Front faced each other, Skariah Thomas had emerged as the winner. After 47 years, when the Kerala Congress groups clash again, it turns out to be a Mani-Joseph group fight. Francis George has been an MP for two terms. Thomas Chazhikadan is the sitting MP.