THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The tough task of retaining the Piravom seat in the forthcoming byelections will be on Anoop Jacob, son of the late T M Jacob, former minister and Kerala Congress leader. A victory there will entitle him to the ministership that KC(J) has been demanding for Anoop after the death of T M Jacob.A crucial leaders’ meeting of the Kerala Congress (Jacob) held here on Thursday unanimously resolved to name Anoop Jacob as the candidate for the Piravom byelection. The meet also staked the party’ claim for ministership without waiting for the bypoll outcome, but left the matter to the collective decision to the UDF leadership to avoid any controversy. Express had earlier reported that Anoop would be the choice to don his father’s mantle.The meet discussed only Anoop’s name as candidate for the bypoll. Party chairman Johny Nelloore, whose ambiguous stance for the past two days had created a lot of suspicion, declared that he had never thought of being a contestant at Piravom. Though a section of the media and a few leaders in the UDF had tried to circulate the name of Daisy Jacob, wife of T M Jacob, as candidate for the bypoll and ministership, she had made it clear to all, including Chief Minister Oommen Chandy that politics was not her cup of tea.Thursday’s party decision was conveyed to Oommen Chandy, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and leaders of coalition partners by a five-member delegation led by Johny. It is learnt that the question of inducting Anoop in the ministry was held back as the Chief Minister and other leaders preferred not to be in a haste and think about it at a later stage, but before the bypoll.Ramesh Chennithala spoke to Anoop on Thursday morning and said that even when the UDF is very keen to retain the Piravom seat in the bypoll as it is crucial for the government’s survival, the seat belonged to the KC(Jacob). It was for the party to decide who should contest the polls.
Comments
0 comment