Kerala polls: Cong announces 6 more candidates, keeps suspense intact for Vijayan's bastion

By Arun Jayan
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 17 : If Nemom, a high-profile constituency, the lone sitting seat of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, became a 'suspense thriller' regarding candidates announcement by Congress, next in line is Dharmadam - a bastion of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
On Tuesday, Congress announced the name of contestants in six more constituencies for Assembly election keeping Dharmadam vacant on a day when the mother of two minor girls, who were allegedly raped and murdered at Walayar, announced that she will contest against Vijayan from Dharmadam.
Congress, it is learned, is weighing the option of supporting her and according to reliable sources, discussions are on to extend United Democratic Front (UDF) support to her against Vijayan.
Like, KK Rema, the wife of slain leader TP Chandrashekaran of the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), who Congress will support in Vadakara, the candidature of Walayar victims mother in Dharmadam may have an impact against Communist Party of India (Marxist) in another constituency too.
The party hopes this would help to tide over the damage the Congress received from the former Mahila Congress president Lathika Subash, who tonsured her head in front of party headquarters in protest against denying her seat and alleged poor representation of women.
The six candidates announced by Congress on Tuesday are - T. Siddique (Kalpetta), VV Prasanth (Nilambur), Firoz Kunnuparambil (Thavanur), Riyas Mukkoli (Pattambi), PC Vishnunath (Kundara), and Veena Nair (Vattiyurkavu).
Of this PC Vishnunath who was first the Congress choice from Kollam was changed to Vattiyurkavu after Bindhu Krishna was given the seat after a widespread protest in Kollam by party office bearers. But in Vattiyurkavu too protest erupted after which he has been given a seat in Kundara that was earlier chosen for Bindhu Krishna.
A clear picture regarding Congress' candidate against CPI(M) strongman Vijayan will emerge tomorrow as the deadline for submitting a nomination is on March 19.
Congress is zeroing on the mother of Walayar victims after the earlier chosen candidate from Dharmadam in Kannur G Devarajan of the Forward Bloc had turned down the offer after intervention from national leadership.
Meanwhile, in Nemom, K Muraleedharan MP who returned from Delhi, kick-started his campaign in Nenom with a huge rally. He is facing BJP heavyweight Kummanam Rajashekaran, former Mizoram governor and V Shivankutty of CPI(M) in a triangular fight.