The Hindu : Front Page : Rebels: Congress wields carrot and stick

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Tuesday, Apr 04, 2006

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Front Page

Rebels: Congress wields carrot and stick

Girish Menon

Some of them have already withdrawn from the fray

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress leadership appears to have resorted to the carrot and stick policy against rebel candidates in the fray for the three-phase State Assembly elections. The leadership seems to have succeeded in getting quite a few of the proclaimed rebels withdrawn from the scene by offering to consider their claims in future or by clear threats of suspension in case they did not comply.

The former National Students Union leader Sreekantan who had announced his candidature from Pattambi and several others have now decided to stay away. The leadership had earlier not taken much note of such expressions, as most of these were impulsive reactions to the electoral arrangements that the party chose to strike with the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran).

The party's headache is that such rebels are mostly in the seats allotted to the DIC(K), virtually threatening to upset the brittle alliance with that party. The party had rebel problems in Thrissur district, and in the Aranmula and Thiruvananthapuram West constituencies. The Thrissur district leadership has been persuaded to give up its moves by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala.

On Sunday night, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Mr. Chennithala met Congress leaders in Pathanamthitta and reportedly settled the issue with regard to Aranmula, according to sources. Mr. Saratchandra Prasad has refused to change his decision to contest from Thiruvananthapuram West. The Congress leaders are a bit cautious now and have so far tried only to persuade him to withdraw. The party does not want to take any disciplinary action at present, as it would have larger political meanings, especially in Thiruvananthapuram West where Sobhana George of the DIC(K) is the United Democratic Front's candidate. The Congress is also making a cautious attempt to address the threat posed by another prominent rebel, K.K. Nair, who has announced his candidature from the Pathanamthitta seat.

Mr. Chennithala told The Hindu that there would be no rebels in the fray by the time filing of nominations was over. He said strong action would be taken against those who refused to fall in line. The Congress has been able to complete its candidates' selection without much difficulty. There are a few who could be disappointed because they did not get the ticket and it is natural for them to express their resentment. "But the dividing line is very clear. The party cannot put up with actions that would mar its winning chances," he said.

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