Amidst hypothesis that former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will contest from Nemom within the April 6 Assembly polls, Puthuppally, his residence constituency in Kottayam district, witnessed dramatic scenes on Saturday as a gaggle of Congress staff staged protest close to his home and made suicide threats.
Nemom constituency, a suburb positioned in Thiruvananthapuram district, is the lone seat of BJP within the Kerala Assembly.
A lot of social gathering staff and followers together with girls gathered close to his home since morning and raised slogans, saying they might not let their long-time MLA go away Puthuppally to contest in every other phase.
The two-time Chief Minister has been representing Puthupally within the state Assembly for the final 51 years since Seventies.
An emotional supporter even climbed atop the rooftop of his home and threatened to commit suicide, holding social gathering flag in his arms.
“We will give our life, but not Chandy… he is our dearest leader… we will not let him go to Nemom,” one other Congress activist stated.
Chandy, who received again residence from Delhi this morning, was even waylaid by the supporters and appealed him to not swap to every other constituency. The 77 years-old chief, who someway managed to enter the home amidst the push of social gathering staff, appeared to be moved by the assist confirmed by followers. Senior leaders Ok C Joseph and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan additionally reached Chandy’s residence by the point.
As the protests intensified, the chief assured the supporters that he wouldn’t go away Puthuppally to contest in Nemom.
“Candidates have been finalised in 81 constituencies. In the record, my identify is given because the candidate in Puthupally.
“Neither state nor the central leadership have asked me to contest from Nemom. I completely understand and acknowledge the emotions of party workers and followers. There is no way to leave Puthupally,” Chandy stated. However, he stated discussions have been sill on over the candidature in Nemom.
Speculations are excessive that Chandy, the veteran chief with a mass assist base throughout the southern state, can be fielded in Nemom, the excessive profile constituency the place a fierce three-corned struggle is anticipated, within the upcoming polls.
A bit of media additionally reported that that Chandy had consented to contest from Nemom, which was thought-about to be the explanation for the emotional response of followers.
The names of Shashi Tharoor and Ok Muraleedharan, each members of parliament, have been additionally stated to have been mentioned as possiblecandidates in Nemom, however the Congress management already made it clear that MPs wouldn’t be contesting in Assembly polls.
Wresting Nemom seat from the saffron social gathering is a serious problem for each the standard fronts-Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-headed LDF- as BJP had opened its maiden account within the state Assembly by successful this constituency.
As BJP leaders hail Nemom because the “Gujarat of Kerala” and the social gathering’s iron fortress, its a matter of satisfaction for each thetraditional fronts, who’ve been dominating the state’s bipolar polity for thus many many years, to grab it from the BJP-NDA.
Congress sources stated by fielding a excessive profile chief like Chandy, the grand-old social gathering can provide a befitting reply to the CPI(M)’s allegation that the BJP and Congress have been going hand-in-hand in lots of constituencies together with Nemom. If the social gathering wins and it might probably wrest the lone seat from BJP, it will be a game-changer within the state politics, they added.
However, the Congress management is but to make any formal announcement on the Nemom candidature.
Speculations have been rife that the Congress excessive command was eager that both Chandy or Chennithala needs to be ready to strive their luck from Nemon seat.
The CPI(M) has already introduced its former MLA, V Sivankutty because the candidate in Nemom.
There have been additionally media experiences that former Mizoram Governor, Kummanam Rajasekharan can be the BJP nominee there.
BJP veteran and former union minister, O Rajagopal had gained Nemom in 2016 meeting polls by garnering 67,813 votes by defeating CPI(M)-LDF’s V Sivankutty who secured 59,142 votes. However, UDF candidate V Surendran Pillai (JD-S) might end solely in a distant third place with 13,860 votes.
