After the demise of Congress stalwart and former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy, speculation was rife as to who the party would field as its candidate from his constituency Puthupalli. But hours after speculation began, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday said the candidate would be someone from the veteran leader’s Chandy family.

KPCC Chief Sudhakaran confirms who will be the Congress candidate for the Puthupalle seat vacated by Chandy's death

KPCC president and MP Sudhakaran said informal discussions on who should be the candidate have started and officially it will start after a few days. Talking to reporters in Kochi, he said that there was no doubt that the candidate would be someone from Chandy’s family. Along with this, the KPCC chief also said that the decision of who will be there will not be decided by the party but by the family.

Sudhakaran also said that if the ruling LDF in Kerala has any respect for Chandy, he should refrain from contesting from the Puthuppally constituency. Oommen Chandy, the two-time Chief Minister of Kerala, breathed his last on Tuesday (July 18) at a private hospital in Bangalore. He was 79 years old.

We (Congress) do not need to make such a request, he said. If they have any respect for Oommen Chandy then they (LDF) should do it themselves. The KPCC chief’s argument or demand was rejected by LDF convenor EP Jayaran. He told the media that the Congress has never taken such a stand in the past. Jayarajan also said that elections are not about individuals, they are a political ideal and hence he is rejecting the KPCC chief’s demand.

Sudhakaran also disapproved of Congress leader Cherian Philip’s social media post, which mainly insisted on making Chandy’s son Chandy Oommen the successor to the post vacated by the late Congress leader. It was not right on his (Philip) part, the KPCC chief said. I have talked to him about this and told him this.

Philip said in a post on Facebook that Chandy Oommen is qualified in every way to replace his father as he understands the Congress culture and his father’s way of working. He became the leader of the Youth Congress at the national and state level on the strength of his hard work and ability. Congress leader Cherian Philip clearly indicated that the candidate would be a member of Chandy’s family. He said that all the three children of Chandy have political understanding and are capable of playing an important role in the party. He also advocated for Chandy’s two daughters Achu and Maria. Philip said that if she wants to enter politics, the party will welcome her too.

Congress leader and MP K Muraleedharan said in Kozhikode that after the announcement of the by-election for the Puthuppalli seat, the party’s candidate will be decided immediately and there will be no debate in this regard. Asked whether the candidate would be a member of the Chandy family, Muraleedharan said the party would look into all aspects while taking a decision.

IUML national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty also said that there is no problem in deciding the candidate for the bypoll. He said, Puthupalli and Kerala have the right to continue with the standards set by Oommen Chandy. The Congress party will decide who should represent the constituency and there will be no problem. There will be no dispute regarding the selection of the candidate by the party.

 https://english.n27news.in /wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Untitled-1360-×-1068-px-2023-07-23T161259.876.jpghttps://english.n27news.in /wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Untitled-1360-×-1068-px-2023-07-23T161259.876-150x150.jpgN27 NewsNationalPoliticsKPCC Chief Sudhakaran confirms who will be the Congress candidate for the Puthupalle seat vacated by Chandy's deathAfter the demise of Congress stalwart and former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy, speculation was rife as to who the party would field as its candidate from his constituency Puthupalli. But hours after speculation began, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday said the candidate would be...Pakad Har Khabar Par