THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The reports about the possibility of R Selvaraj as the UDF candidate in Neyyatinkara has ignited resentment in the Congress with a section objecting to the reception being accorded to newcomers.The resentment which started with the ‘adoption’ of A P Abdullakutty has now intensified with the possible induction of another new face. A section in the party feel there is no need to field Selvaraj as the candidate in Neyyatinkara since Neyyatinkara is a stronghold of the party. According to them, Neyyattinkara should be retained by the party and should not be offered to an individual like Selvaraj who was a CPM member.Those who are against Selvaraj’s candidature are in favour of Thampanoor Ravi, former MLA from Neyyattinkara and a hardcore Oommen Chandy loyalist.“They know that Thampanoor Ravi’s loss to Selvaraj in the last Assembly election was owing to the internal politics in the party and not because the party was weak in the area. But the loyalists of the ‘Unified I’ group prefer the ‘neutral’ Selvaraj to Thampanoor Ravi. By this, they calculate that the strength of ‘A’ group can be curbed in the party, a party leader told Express.“Oommen Chandy was well aware that Selvaraj was about to resign as MLA. It was not something unexpected. So at least some in the party feel that if Selvaraj was given a promise, it should be kept. There is no relevance in group-based discussions” said a Congress MLA. However, both ‘A’ and ‘I’ group supporters are angry at the red carpet welcome given to newcomers and this has created widespread discontent within the party.Abdullakutty, on his entry was fielded as the party candidate in the Kannur Assembly seat, a move which created much discontent among party workers since Kannur had always been a sure seat for the party whoever be the candidate.Sources said that the resentment has intensified with the Selvaraj issue. Many in the party secretly expressed that while new faces are being given prominence they are being sidelined. This sentiments were echoed by the statement of senior party leader V M Sudheeran who said the other day that there should be a common policy in the party on the appointment to party posts of MLAs and MPs coming from other parties.“The matter would come up for discussion in the KPCC political affairs committee meeting which is scheduled to be held on April 3,” Sudheeran told Express.The disgruntled section in the party is waiting for a final decision regarding the Neyyattinkara candidate, and expects a shift in the ‘predetermined decision.’ They hope that Selvaraj would contest as an independent candidate to gain the support of VSDP, a pro-Nadar organisation, and thereby put an end to the problems in the party related to his candidature.
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