Ready to contest Lok Sabha polls: PJ Joseph

IDUKKI: Kerala Congress (M) vice chairman P J Joseph has expressed his willingness to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Kerala Congress needs two seats and I have conveyed this to Congress president Rahul Gandhi,” he told a news conference at Thodupuzha on Monday.
“UDF will emerge victorious in all 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming elections. Earlier, Kerala Congress had two Lok Sabha seats.In 1984, Kerala Congress had contested from three seats and the Muslim League from two. Along with Kottayam, Kerala Congress needs the Idukki or Chalakkudy seat,” he said.
“If the party wants, I am ready to contest,” he added. Joseph also denied the rumours that Nisha Jose K Mani will contest from Kottayam as a KC(M) nominee.
‘Cong wants a split’: Meanwhile, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged in Kottayam that opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala was bent on creating a split in Kerala Congress (M). “Chennithala, who is trying to weaken the KC(M), is sending out feelers to Joseph that the Congress party would protect him if he comes out of the party,” said Kodiyeri while speaking highly of Joseph. He added that Joseph gained nothing by standing with Mani and now he has started rethinking his decision.
In Thrissur, Chennithala ruled out the possibility of a split in KC(M) in the backdrop of Joseph demanding a second seat for the party. Chennithala also refuted Kodiyeri’s statement that he was engineering a split in Kerala Congress (M). “Kodiyeri may be speaking without knowing the facts,” he said, responding to questions.
He also said that Kerala Congress (M) has a capable leadership to resolve their internal differences and there was no need for the UDF to intervene.
Chennithala said bilateral seat-sharing talks between Congress and KC(M) would be held on Tuesday and the issues will be resolved there. The Congress candidates’ list will be published in the second week of March, he added.