Congress keen on contesting from 6 assembly seats in Kottayam

The Kottayam District Congress Committee has advised the party high command that it should have candidates in six out of the nine assembly constituencies in the district.
The Kottayam District Congress Committee has advised the party high command that it should have candidates in six out of the nine assembly constituencies in the district.
The Kottayam District Congress Committee has advised the party high command that it should have candidates in six out of the nine assembly constituencies in the district.
Kottayam: Congress is likely to contest in most of the constituencies in Kottayam district in the upcoming Kerala Assembly Election. Its alliance partner Kerala Congress (Joseph) is unlikely to be allotted the same number of seats that were given to the Kerala Congress (Mani) when the latter was part of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until last year.
The Kottayam District Congress Committee has advised the party high command that it should have candidates in six out of the nine assembly constituencies in the district.
The DCC has formally conveyed its demand to the two AICC office-bearers -- Tariq Anwar and Ivan D'souza -- who came calling recently as part of their state-wide tour.
The DCC reasoned that the Kerala Congress faction which is currently in the UDF camp doesn't have much of a following in the district unlike the rival Mani faction which has sided with the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The Kerala Congress (Mani) used to often contest in half a dozen seats in the district when it was a Congress ally. The three seats that the Congress was allotted in the district had been Kottayam, Puthupally and Vaikom, with only the latter proving to be a tough proposition to win.
The DCC wants to reverse the 6:3 ratio in its favour as the political dynamics have changed after the exit of Kerala Congress (Mani) from the UDF after a few decades. The latter had been regularly winning from Pala, Kanjirappally, Kaduthuruthy and Changanacherry for several decades. Besides it often wins from Ettumanoor.
Poonjar had been a stronghold of the Mani faction, now led by Jose K Mani, but its former legislator PC George had parted ways several years ago and won as an independent candidate in the 2016 state polls.
Kerala Congress (Joseph) is likely to be allotted Kaduthuruthy, Pala and Kanjirappally for the state polls. Its leader PJ Joseph is insisting on getting as many seats as the UDF had been granting the Mani-led party.
The Congress is reportedly eyeing to field its own candidates in Changanacherry, Poonjar, Ettumanoor and even Kanjirappally apart from Puthuppally and Kottayam. The party has no dearth of local leaders who can put up a strong show in all these constituencies.
The All-India Congress Committee representatives have directed the DCC to consider only victory prospects of candidates or party while sharing the seats.