Kochi, Sept 14: Hardly 10 days remain for the September 23 Lok Sabha by-election from Ernakulam but the Congress in Kerala faces an intense factional feud, spearheaded by senior leader K Karunakaran, which may be crucial to the poll outcome. Come poll time, Karunakaran is at his best, playing the 'hurt and angry' old man role to the hilt that is being lapped up by the party's rivals CPI (M) and CPI (M) rebel candidate in the fray.


V Viswanatha Menon, a respected Marxist and a former finance minister, is an independent candidate, backed by CPI(M) rebels and BJP.


The powerful organisation of backward Ezhava community, considered once to be the backbone of the CPI(M) has asked its activists to vote according to their conscience but may take a clear decision ahead of the poll date.

What has angered the 'leader', as Karunakaran is essentially called by his 'i' faction supporters, this time is the Congress high command's decision to field M O John, a loyalist of Chief Minister A K Antony, from the prestigious constituency, which was a bastion of the 'I' faction since the past 23 years.

In protest against the decision to field john, Karunakaran supporters have decided to boycott campaigning for the UDF candidate.
Bureau Report