Day after Cong list,the grumbles

The declaration of Congress candidates in Kerala,following days of uncertainty marked by growing discontent.

The declaration of Congress candidates in Kerala,following days of uncertainty marked by growing discontent,has now led to rebellion. The UDF is yet to bring out a manifesto with polling three weeks away.

A day after the AICC announced the list,former legislator Shobana George prepared to fight as a rebel from Chengannoor,where Youth Congress state president P C Vishnunath is the party candidate. George has the backing of the Malankara Orthodox Church that had earlier demanded its pound of flesh from the UDF during talks on seat sharing.

In Palakkad,the entire Congress leadership is peeved over the denial of seats to A V Gopinathan and C V Balachandran. Protest marches continued for the second day. The AICC list does not take into account the sentiments of party workers. Many of the candidates are outsiders, said Balachandran.

There is trouble with allies too,with the Congress yet to iron out its differences with the Socialist Janata Democratic. The SJD wants its traditional Chittor,where the Congress has fielded A Achuthan. The SJD has threatened to boycott campaigning in Palakkad district. Mahila Congress leader Santha Jayaram,picked to contest from Shornur in Palakkad,threatened to contest as an Independent from Chittor. The party has insulted me by fielding me in Shornur,where a section of the Congress is working for CPM rebel M R Murali, said Santha Jayaram.

Padmaja Venugopal,daughter of late Congress leader K Karunakaran,held a meeting with supporters after being denied a seat. How ccould the party overlook the Karunakaran camp three months after his death? said Padmaja,whose brother Muraleedharan has been fielded.

Karunakaran loyalists are also aggrieved that none of them was given a ticket in Thrissur district,where the Congress has fielded three leaders with alleged health problems.

The Communist Marxist Party,an ally of the Congress,has decided not to accept the three seats it has been given. Party chairman M V Raghavan said it would be suicidal for the CMP to accept such seats. The winnable seats the CMP is eyeing are on the wish-list of the IUML and the Congress too.

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The SJD too was given leftover seats in the end. Unlike Kerala Congress groups and the Indian Union Muslim League,neither the CMP and SJD has community-based backing.

Kerala Congress M legislator Joseph M Puthuseri is wondering about contesting as a rebel from Thiruvalla. Puthusseri was denied a seat as his constituency Kallooppara has ceased to exist after delimitation.

The Malankara Orthodox Church,non-Catholic,has come out in support of Puthusseri. The UDF has not given consideration to the Church. The community will register its protest in voting, said spokesperson George Mathew.