Kerala Assembly polls: Deadlock over five seats continues

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The deadlock over finalising the list of Congress candidates to five Assembly seats remained unsolved on Saturday even as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and PCC president V.M. Sudheeran refused to budge from their known positions.

The conciliatory talks led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the presence of senior Congress leader A.K. Antony were also were not fruitful. Congress sources told this that a final announcement of Congress candidates is not likely to take place soon. Mr Chandy is expected to leave New Delhi by Sunday afternoon.

However, Mr Sudheeran and home minister Mr Ramesh Chennithala will stay back there for unofficial level talks. Mr Sudheeran told reporters in New Delhi after the talks that “those who are in a hurry” have left for Kerala, pointing to Mr Chandy.

However, Mr Chandy left the decision to the Congress high command saying they are free to take a decision on those seats which are in dispute. Sources close to Mr Mukul Wasnik, AICC general secretary in charge of the state, feels that the two warring leaders have started to soften from their stand.

Mr Sudheeran was firm that sitting Konni MLA and Tripunnithara MLA Adoor Prakash and K. Babu should not contest. This was vehemently opposed by Mr Chandy.

Sources said Mr Sudheeran has agreed to be lenient on the other three seats from Kollam, Irikoor and Thrikkakara. However, Mr Chandy left the meeting by then along with Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC’s screening committee chairman.
Sources told this newspaper that even Mrs Sonia Gandhi was keen to see two changes as suggested by Mr Sudheeran.

AICC leadership is in a quandary as to how to solve the crisis which is expected to snowball in to a major controversy in the party with the two senior leaders not in a mood to relent. Another round of unofficial talks would resume on Sunday morning in New Delhi.