EX-CM CHANDY TO HEAD CONG’S POLL PANEL IN KERALA

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has set up a 10-member committee, under the leadership of former chief minister Oommen Chandy, for the upcoming Kerala assembly elections.

The party banked on the 77-year-old in the backdrop of murmurs of discontent against the present state leadership.

PCC president Mullapplly Ramachandran, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal, Tariq Anwar, senior leaders Shashi Tharoor, K Muralidharan, Kodikunnil Suresh, V M Sudheeran and K Sudhakaran are members of the panel. The leaders are expected to devise a strategy and oversee election preparations in the state, said the AICC statement.

The party leadership had reportedly told three senior leaders (Chandy, Chennithala and Ramachandran), who were summoned to Delhi two days ago, that winning the election was the top priority and they should give more importance to the party than factions. It also asked the state unit to field more youth and women in the election.