UDF rebels out in Ettumanur, Kannur

KOTTAYAM: The Kerala Congress (M) is in a tight corner in  Ettumanur  with the   entry of  Mr Josemon Mundackal,  former district panchayat member and the current Kozhuvanal panchayat president of KC(M), as a rebel candidate.  He is likely to pose a serious threat to the chances of  party candidate Thomas Chazhikaddan who is pitted against Mr Suresh Kurup of the CPM and Mr A.G. Thankappan of the BDJS.

Though KC (M) chairman K.M. Mani has been trying to  persuade Mr Josemon to withdraw from the contest, he is determined to remain in the fray protesting   against the candidate selection and the lack of development of the constituency for the past 25 years.

Mr Josemon said that he would resign as KC (M) district general secretary and  president of the panchayat. The KC (M) has  already incurred the displeasure of the DCC for not giving the Poonjar and Ettumanur seats to the Congress.

Kannur: P.K. Ragesh, the Congress rebel who won the Kannur corporation council election, has threatened to contest  the Assembly elections  if the party refuses to meet his demands on the party revamp.

The Aikya Janadhipathya Munnani Samrakshana Samithy, the organization floated by Ragesh and his supporters, has already declared his candidature   and the search for one more candidate is on.  They are eyeing Kannur and Azhikkode.

Ragesh, who won from the Pallikkunnu ward beating both fronts, had become the deciding  factor  in forming the council  after both camps won equal number of seats.  Ragesh told DC that the  Congress leadership had failed to take any action on his demands on revamping the district, block and constituency-level committees.