The Hindu : Dispute over Adoor, Muvattupuzha seats a hurdle for UDF

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Dispute over Adoor, Muvattupuzha seats a hurdle for UDF

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 24. Dispute over the Adoor and Muvattupuzha Lok Sabha seats is likely to give the leadership of the United Democratic Front (UDF) quite a few headaches when it meets on Wednesday.

The Kerala Congress(B) and the Kerala Congress(Jacob) have already demanded the Adoor and Muvattupuzha seats respectively. Efforts have been launched by some of the leading UDF partners, including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), to sort out the dispute amicably. But the entire issue has acquired the dimensions of an intra-coalition fight between the KC(B) and KC(Jacob) on one side and the KC (M), which is planning to field Jose K. Mani, son of the Revenue Minister and party leader, K.M. Mani, on the other.

The UDF meeting, slated for today, was put off by a day following the death of the Governor, Sikander Bakht, and on account of the absence of the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, who accompanied the body to New Delhi.

The KC(B) leader and Transport Minister, R. Balakrishna Pillai, has been on a campaign against the Congress giving a ticket to the sitting MP, Kodikunnil Suresh. According to KC(B) sources, Mr. Pillai would not mind withdrawing his demand for the Adoor seat if he gets an assurance that the Congress would not field Mr. Suresh.

Mr. Pillai's stand on the Adoor ticket has caused resentment among a section of the Congress leaders, who assert that it was for their party to decide on who should be given a ticket to contest and the matter be left to the Congress Election Committee. Mr. Pillai has, of late, been repeatedly stating that Mr. Suresh would not be the ideal candidate for the Adoor seat and that he would not hesitate to work against him.

Irrespective of the UDF leadership's decision on the Adoor seat, Mr. Pillai would still retain the leverage to put spokes in Mr. Mani's wheels by joining hands with the KC(Jacob) leader, T.M. Jacob, for the Muvattupuzha seat. Both the Kerala Congress factions have been demanding seats on the basis of their relative strengths in several Assembly segments in the two Lok Sabha constituencies.

Several attempts were made through mediators to get Mr. Mani and Mr. Jacob settle their differences. The two held an hour-long meeting after the Cabinet session a few weeks ago, but could not agree on a formula. According to the KC(Jacob) president, Johnny Nellore, the Muvattupuzha seat should be settled on the basis of eligibility, considering the fact that the constituency would be witnessing a triangular fight. The presence of the BJP-led NDA candidate and Union Minister of State for Law, P.C. Thomas, in the fray would make a difference to the electoral scene in the constituency and the UDF should consider fielding a senior leader from there, he said. The KC(Jacob) feels that the Kottayam seat should be given to Mr. Mani. The KC(M) has a strong presence in the constituency, with four Assembly segments being represented by its nominees. The KC(Jacob) and KC(B) have held several rounds of meetings with the other coalition partners. The UDF meeting is likely to witness strong moves by these two parties. But the final decision would depend on the stand that the IUML would take. The IUML is likely to support the Congress stand that it needs to contest in more number of seats in view of its Delhi imperatives of emerging as the largest single party to form a Government. This stand could prove to be beneficial to Mr. Mani as well.

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