Kerala Congress factions lock horns over poll graffiti

The fight for political dominance over the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat begins as rival Kerala Congress factions clash over a political graffiti.

Ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, the fight for political dominance between the two Kerala Congress factions over the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat seems to have already started.

Setting the tone for an acrimonious fight between the rival groups, the two sides locked horns over a political graffiti on Monday. The episode unfolded as the Kerala Congress put up a graffiti on a roadside wall at Adichira near here. Even though a formal announcement on the allocation of the Kottayam seat is yet to be made, the KC workers put up their graffiti, merely urging voters to support the United Democratic Front (UDF).

Just as the graffiti, which appeared long before the conclusion of seat-sharing talks within the United Democratic Front, caught widespread media attention, the Kerala Congress (M) entered the scene. Arguing that the wall belonged to a close relative of Thomas Chazhikadan, the sitting MP of Kottayam, a team of KC(M) workers took over the wall and replaced the rival’s graffiti with their own.

The KC(M), on its part, also refrained from writing any names and instead urged voters to help ‘extend the golden age of Kottayam.’

Irked by the act, the UDF leadership soon produced a copy of the consent letter issued by the property owner for putting up the Congress-led coalition’s graffiti. However, a verification of the document suggested that the UDF did, indeed, get it wrong.

The KC(M), however, appeared unrelenting and used the episode to launch a fresh round of attacks on the rival faction. The Kerala Congress always relies on such dirty tactics during elections to divert attention from their organisational weaknesses and infighting,” said Lopez Mathew, KC(M) district president, in a statement.

The fight assumes significance as the two sides are likely to face off in Kottayam during the upcoming elections. While the KC(M), a constituent of the Left Democratic Front, is likely to field Mr. Chazhikadan, its sitting MP here, a few aspirants have emerged on the rival side for a ticket in Kottayam.