Oommen Chandy may bow to AICC pressure

Thiruvananthapuram: AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy may not be averse to contesting the Lok Sabha elections if the AICC insists. “Let the AICC decide on my candidature,” he said after inaugurating the KC (M) rally in Kasaragod on Wednesday evening. However, he told a television channel that the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat will stay with the KC (M).

There has been pressure from several quarters on Mr Chandy to enter the fray from Kottayam. Earlier, he had said that he wished to complete 50 years as an MLA and that he did not want to become an MP.

A Congress leader said, "I am sure Chandy will contest the general elections. KC (M) chairman K. M. Mani has already completed 54 years as a legislator. So Chandy's plan to become the first Congress legislator to complete 50 years is a gimmick," he said.

Mr Mukul Wasnik, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state, who is here on a tour of southern districts, told reporters that if Mr Chandy plunges into the fray, it will be good for the UDF.

"The KPCC will submit the candidates’ list after the screening committee finalises it. Then it will be announced by the central election committee," he said.
But KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran has drawn flak from the allies, especially the Muslim League, after he said on Wednesday that Mr Chandy will be a candidate for the elections.

The UDF has not held any talks so far on seat sharing and the League feels that candidates should be announced in the appropriate forum.