Kannur seat row ends? K Sudhakaran to contest assembly polls as Congress relents

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala, the Congress high command has reportedly relented in its standoff with senior leader K Sudhakaran over the Kannur seat, paving the way for him to enter the fray.

The decision comes after hours of intense developments, with Sudhakaran taking a firm stand on contesting from Kannur. His pressure tactics appear to have paid off, forcing the leadership to reconsider its earlier position on seat allocation.

Soon after arriving in Delhi, Sudhakaran had expressed strong displeasure over being sidelined in discussions, questioning the leadership’s approach. The situation escalated on Thursday morning after reports emerged that he was preparing to contest as an Independent candidate.

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While the high command initially viewed it as a pressure tactic, the situation quickly turned serious.

In a bid to resolve the issue, Sudhakaran held telephonic discussions with senior leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph and K C Venugopal. When he was informed that the screening committee’s decision on Kannur was not in his favour, Sudhakaran reportedly ended the call with a sharp message: “You take your path, I will take mine, okay, goodbye.”

Following this, Chennithala held urgent consultations with top leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. Party leaders assessed that denying Sudhakaran the ticket could lead to his resignation as MP and a possible Independent contest, which could weaken the party both in Parliament and in Kerala.

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Senior leader A K Antony also intervened, warning that sidelining Sudhakaran could trigger a rebellion and damage the party’s prospects in the state.

Taking into account his mass appeal and influence within the party, the high command is now understood to have decided in favour of fielding Sudhakaran from Kannur.