Congress gets a shock in Kerala as Lathika Subhash tonsures head to protest denial of seat

The Congress headquarters in Kerala witnessed high drama on Sunday as State Mahila Congress president Lathika Subhash tonsured her head as a mark of protest after the party denied her a seat to contest the April 6 assembly elections.

Subhash resigned from the top post of the Congress' women's wing soon after KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran announced the party's candidates.

An emotional Subhash said she had wished to contest from Ettumanoor, her home constituency. She also marked her protest against women getting less representation in the Congress' candidates' list. "The Mahila Congress had demanded 20 per cent representation for women in the party's candidates' list. I had hoped that the party would field at least one woman in each district," she said.

Subhash's name had been discussed as a probable candidate in Vypin in Ernakulam district after Ettumanoor was allotted to the Congress' ally Kerala Congress Joseph faction.

Subhash, a former district panchayat member in Kottayam, said she would not join any other party. She also wished success to the Congress-led UDF in the elections.

Subhash had unsuccessfully contested against CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan in the 2011 assembly elections. She mentioned the defamatory remarks made by Achuthananadan against her during the campaign to cite the challenges she had to face during her political career.

A known woman face among party leaders and activists, Lathika Subhash had taken over as the head of Mahila Congress in 2018 from Bindhu Krishna, now a party candidate in Kollam.

A weeping Subhash said she tonsured her head as a symbol of protest for all the women in the party, who have been toiling hard for the success of other candidates, but have been sidelined and ignored by the leadership for years.

Subhash also pointed out that Bindhu Krishna had to cry on Saturday to get her name included in the candidates' list.

Independent in Ettumanoor?

Subhash said several party workers have urged her to contest from Ettumanoor as an independent. However, she has not taken a decision about it yet.

UDF convener M M Hassan rushed to the KPCC office hearing about Subhash's protest. To Hassan's attempts to console her, Subhash said, “take back the Ettumanoor seat and field me from there if possible. I can assure you that I will win.”

Shocked over hearing about Subhash's protest, Mullappally Ramachandran said it was not proper for one to tonsure head for not getting seat. "The situation in Ettumanoor was discussed with her in detail and she was convinced about it," Ramachandran said.

Ramachandran on Sunday announced 86 candidates. Candidates in six constituencies are yet to be announced. There are only nine women among the 86 candidates announced.