T'PURAM: With A K Antony making it clear that he will not be contesting again to the Upper House, many senior leaders in the Congress party have staked claim for the lone Rajya Sabha seat which the UDF can win from the state.
It will undoubtedly be a task cut out for the KPCC leadership to find a replacement for Antony since there are many aspirants for the seat. The first to come out in open expressing his desire to get the Rajya Sabha seat was senior leader K V Thomas. He has said that he would like to contest for the Rajya Sabha seat but it was the party to take a decision.
However, there are reports that former KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran is also one among the aspirants for the seat. He is waiting for a suitable position ever since he had resigned from the post of the KPCC president.
A section of the leaders in the party are of the view that Cheriyan Philip, who had rejoined the party, should be given a suitable accommodation by providing this seat. However, the KPCC leadership is unlikely to accept this demand.
Many senior leaders in the party are eyeing the seat and hence there will be hectic lobbying in the coming days. Mullappally Ramachandran has said that the final decision on who should contest for the seat would be taken by the party high command.
There is a popular sentiment in the party, at least among the new leadership, that someone who has not been given a chance yet in parliamentary politics should be considered for the seat. Since majority of the senior leaders have already represented the party either in the assembly or in Parliament, a new face should be given the opportunity this time, they said.
It is also interesting to note that the UDF constituent leader C P John of the CMP has also expressed his desire for the seat. John, who has been with the UDF for over three-and-a-half decades, has not been elected to the assembly or Parliament yet. Hence, he has also staked a claim for the seat. But in the present situation Congress giving the seat to any of the UDF constituent is highly unlikely.
