The Congress’ Kerala unit appears to have a rebellious former president K. Sudhakaran, MP, on its hands as the party’s high command meets next week to finalise candidates for the Assembly elections in the State. Mr. Sudhakaran, a veteran of Kannur politics, reportedly “stalked off from Delhi in anger” against the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) decision to restrain MPs from contesting the Assembly elections in Kerala. 

Mr. Sudhakaran’s supposedly “hasty return” to Kannur during the Parliament session seemed to gain some political context, given his assertion last week that he would “100 per cent” contest the Assembly polls from Kannur. 

On bond with Kannur

He fanned further speculation about an impending revolt in the Congress in Kannur by emotionally recalling his “visceral bond” with the district in a viral Facebook post. 

Mr. Sudhakaran said Kannur’s soil was soaked with the blood of Congress martyrs who fell to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s [CPI(M)] violence, and the faces of the “glorious dead” remained etched in his mind. 

Posters in support

Soon posters supporting Mr. Sudhakaran, touted by his loyalists in Kannur as an iron-willed leader strong enough to stand up to the CPI(M), appeared in several localities in the Assembly segment. Several Congress workers thronged his house and declared their loyalty in front of television news cameras.

Mr. Sudhakaran’s “mutiny” appears to have rocked the Congress’s bid to present a united face at the hustings. For the party leadership, it raised the spectre of more MPs aspiring for a role in provincial politics. Mr. Sudhakaran has not elaborated on the context of the Facebook post. However, the timing of the post has cast an element of uncertainty over Congress’s candidate selection. 

Satheesan’s stance

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan attempted to make light of the matter. “Mr. Sudhakaran has disavowed the Facebook post. It is usual for MPs to leave for their constituencies on Fridays during the Lok Sabha session,” he said. KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA, said Mr. Sudhakaran remained loyal to the party. Meanwhile, Congress insiders said the AICC might give weightage to the candidate preferred by Mr. Sudhakaran for Kannur. However, they were equivocal about whether Mr. Gandhi had summoned Mr. Sudhakaran to Delhi for negotiations.