T’puram: UDF is facing renewed trouble in Punalur as dissent has resurfaced within the Congress ranks. District Congress committee (DCC) general secretary Sanjay Khan has announced that he will contest as an independent, protesting the party’s decision to withdraw its rebel candidate. However, last-minute efforts are going on to pacify Khan.Khan stated that he cannot accept the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate and confirmed that he would file his nomination papers on Monday.The developments come after the Punalur seat was once again allotted to the IUML. Following this, local Congress leadership declared DCC office-bearer Nelson Sebastian as a rebel candidate. However, the intervention of senior leaders, including AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and KPCC president Sunny Joseph, led to the withdrawal of the rebel candidate.However, the decision to withdraw the Congress candidate triggered dramatic scenes in the party meeting held at Punalur on Sunday. Expressing strong opposition to the leadership’s move to hand over the seat to IUML, Khan walked out of the party meeting. Despite efforts by party leaders and workers to pacify him, he remained firm in his stand.Soon after this, Khan publicly announced his decision to contest from Punalur. He alleged that the seat was handed over to the IUML with the intention of losing and said he could not support such a move. He also claimed that the seat was initially promised to him but was later taken away. He also warned that if the seat is given to the IUML, the Congress will disintegrate in Punalur.Khan’s supporters have already begun campaigning, projecting him as a popular independent candidate and appealing to voters to back him.Meanwhile, Congress has initiated efforts to bring Khan back into the fold. The constituency committee has decided to resolve the differences and mobilise support in favour of the IUML candidate. KPCC vice-president P C Vishnunath is in touch with Khan to defuse the tension that has evolved in the party.
