Kannur seat row: K Sudhakaran asked to return to Delhi for talks as Congress tries to pacify him

Kannur: Senior Congress leader and and former KPCC chief K. Sudhakaran has been called to New Delhi on Monday for fresh deliberations after differences emerged within the state party unit over his request to contest the Kannur Assembly constituency in the upcoming state elections.

The move comes after reports that the Congress national leadership has stepped in to ease tensions following Sudhakaran’s recent return to Kerala amid uncertainty over the issue.

It is learnt that Rahul Gandhi personally called Sudhakaran in an effort to pacify him. As part of the effort, the senior leader has been asked to return to Delhi for further discussions on the contentious matter.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is also expected to speak with Sudhakaran as consultations within the party continue.

The development follows Sudhakaran’s earlier visit to Delhi, where he had conveyed to the party leadership his wish to contest the Kannur Assembly seat.

Resistance within party over Assembly bid

The proposal, however, has faced resistance within the party. Several leaders have opposed the idea of sitting MPs entering the Assembly fray.

The Congress central leadership has also not yet given its approval to Sudhakaran’s request.

Sudhakaran had left Delhi before scheduled talks on candidate selection, even as several rounds of discussions were under way to persuade him to reconsider his position.

When asked whether his departure was a protest, he declined to comment.

Senior leaders continue consultations in Delhi

Meanwhile, senior leaders including Sunny Joseph, V. D. Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala remain in Delhi for consultations with the party leadership.

In a Facebook post, Sudhakaran highlighted his long association with Kannur and referred to the sacrifices of Congress workers in the district.