UDF yet to finalise candidate list for Ker polls

With the Congress still pruning its final list of candidates and the Kerala Congress - Mani and the Socialist Janata Dal sulking over seat sharing arrangements, the United Democratic Front is yet to finalise its list of candidates.

A senior Congress leader, on conditions of anonymity, told rediff.com, "There are several issues in the Congress party and the party is now reduced to a pocket organisation of Oomen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala.These two leaders have become so powerful in the party hierarchy that nobody can challenge the might of these two leaders. This has resulted in a situation where the Congress leaders will get a place in the list only if they are personally close or known to either of these two leaders".

With the Kerala Congress - Mani sulking about the step-motherly attitude shown to it, there are possibilities of the Congress and the Kerala Congress - M fighting each other and this may prove fatal for both parties.

There are certain issues plaguing Congress's ally Indian Union Muslim League also as some senior leaders of the party feel let down by the leadership especially in the Eravipuram seat in Kollam district.

While Thiruvananthapuram district president Abbas Sait and Kollam district president Yunus Kunju have staked their claims for the seat, the party leadership may provide the seat to former public works department minister P K K Bava, according to sources.