Thursday, Feb 19, 2004
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Kerala
By C. Gouridasan Nair
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 18. The LDF State committee will meet here tomorrow to formalise sharing of seats between the alliance partners. The meeting may turn out to be a mere formality, despite what would be discussed there, because who would contest where is almost decided. The CPI(M) is keen to contest all the 14 seats it had contested in 1999 and is willing to leave four seats to the CPI and one each to the Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Janata Dal (Secular). This formula is very likely to get carried at tomorrow's LDF panel meeting. The RSP has staked claim to Kollam, but the CPI(M) is unlikely to budge. The CPI(M) had taken Kollam from the RSP in the last election citing division in the party and won the seat. It has already decided to field P. Rajendran, member in the last Lok Sabha, as its candidate in the constituency and that virtually forecloses the possibility of the RSP getting the seat back. The RSP leaders know this well, but they would still raise their claim tomorrow at least to communicate to the CPI(M) leadership their feeling of hurt. Another party that has staked claim to a virtually non-available seat is the Kerala Congress (Secular). The party, formed by a breakaway faction of the Kerala Congress (J), has made it known that it is interested in the Idukki seat, currently held by the KC(J). The party secretariat met here today and authorised the parliamentary party leader, P.C. George, MLA, and the chairman, Eapen Varghese, to raise the demand at the LDF panel meeting. They have been told to ask for Mavelikkara or Muvattupuzha if Idukki could not be allotted to it. Here too the CPI(M) is unlikely to allow any change in the status quo. Although Mr. George and some of his compatriots have left the KC(J), the party led by the former Revenue Minister, P.J. Joseph, has considerable clout on the ground and the CPI(M) knows this well. The CPI(M) is, therefore, inclined to allow the KC(J) to contest the seat. But the KC(Secular) could be expected to make the decision as difficult as possible. The Kozhikode seat would go to Janata Dal if the party fields its State president, M. P. Veerendrakumar. The CPI(M) is not likely to agree to any other candidate, unless of course it is someone of Mr. Veerendrakumar's stature. CPI list: Meanwhile, the CPI has virtually scotched the possibility of the CPI(M) asking for Thiruvananthapuram by confirming the candidature of the former Chief Minister, P.K. Vasudevan Nair. The party State council, which met here today, endorsed the State executive decision in this regard. The other party candidates are C. K. Chandrappan (Thrissur), Chengara Surendran (Adoor SC) and P. P. Suneer (Ponnani).
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