The Congress’s search for both a Muslim and a woman candidate is complicating the announcement of its Lok Sabha polls nominee list, in spite of the party having a strength of 15 sitting MPs in Kerala.
Party sources reveal that the candidacy of BJP State vice-president Shobha Surendran in Alappuzha has triggered hesitation among leaders regarding the selection of Shanimol Usman or any Muslim candidate from the constituency.
Last time, not only did Ms. Usman lost by a margin of 10,474 votes, but also the BJP nominee K.S. Radhakrishnan secured 1,87,729 votes, a massive increase from the 43,051 votes which RSP (B) candidate A.V. Thamarakshan, then with the National Democratic Alliance, received.