Thrissur: The Congress leaders here have opposed the move to field MLA C C Mukundan, who is at odds with the CPI, as an independent candidate in the Nattika constituency with the support of the UDF.

Thannyam Mandalam Congress president Anto Thorayan said young leaders who have been working in the constituency for years should be given an opportunity. He also demanded that the party should not accept “discarded leaders” arriving from other political parties.

Meanwhile, C C Mukundan has stood firm on his decision to contest the election as a UDF-backed independent candidate. On Monday, KPCC secretary and former Thrissur DCC president Jose Valloor visited Mukundan at his MLA office and held discussions. The meeting was held behind closed doors. Mukundan also continued discussions with Congress leaders on Tuesday.

Mukundan said his decision to contest the election is part of his protest against the party. He also alleged that Geetha Gopi, the proposed CPI candidate in Nattika, is a “sponsored candidate”. Mukundan claimed that a single individual had intervened at both the local and state levels to ensure that Geetha Gopi received the party ticket.

At the same time, disciplinary action against Mukundan will be discussed at district-level party meetings scheduled for today. However, it appears that it will not be easy for Congress to field Mukundan as a candidate, despite attempts to politically benefit from the internal rift within the CPI.