For personal reasons, Asaf Ali declines the Kannur offer from Congress
The Congress is still tinkering with the CPM leadership’s preliminary candidate list for the next general election, even though it has already been finalized. Making a decision about Alappuzha and Kannur is being delayed due to a number of circumstances. T Asaf Ali, the former director general of prosecution, was one of the candidates that the four-member subcommittee assigned to finalize the selections had in mind for Kannur. Additionally, KC Venugopal, the general secretary of the AICC, is under increasing pressure to run from Alappuzha.
When selecting candidates, the subcommittee—which includes CWC leader Ramesh Chennithala, UDF convenor M M Hassan, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, and KPCC president K Sudhakaran—took all relevant factors into account.
Sudhakaran, the current Member of Parliament, said he will make a final decision on the Kannur candidate. Additionally, there were rumors that Sudhakaran may run for office. However, attempting to hold onto the seat would not be an option if he is to spearhead the campaign. The party hierarchy gave Asaf Ali some serious thinking because of this idea. “Asaf Ali, a charismatic former leader of the KSU and Youth Congress, would be a great pick. Furthermore, he often appears in TV channel discussions,” a senior party official said.
Both on and off the court, he has consistently placed the CPM in a defensive position. Kannur would be an excellent minority community leader. If such is the case, Alappuzha need to be assigned to an Ezhava community leader in order to preserve the harmony within the group. However, Venugopal is under intense pressure to run from Alappuzha, and the senior politician noted that all will rely on Rahul Gandhi’s approval.
Asaf Ali acknowledged receiving the Kannur ticket, but he said he was not interested in participating in an election that would require giving up a number of things, including his successful legal profession and family life. “I got the word from different party quarters. However, I refused, citing inconvenience to myself. I’m not ready for the amount of effort and changes I would have to do in both my personal and professional life,” the 68-year-old told TNIE.
Asaf Ali, a native of New Mahe, served as the state general secretary of the Youth Congress and the president of KSU’s Kozhikode district. At that point, the ball would be back in Sudhakaran’s court if he chose not to challenge. Reliable sources have revealed that the Congress leadership is considering a three-pronged solution.
Twenty20 to name candidates for two Lok Sabha seats
Kochi: Twenty20 unveiled their slate of candidates for the Lok Sabha poll on Sunday. Party head Sabu M. Jacob said that the party would run candidates in the Chalakudy and Ernakulam seats, with supporters Antony Judy and Charlie Paul, respectively. At a party gathering in Kizhakkambalam, Sabu revealed the names. He predicted that the LS vote will bring about significant changes to Kerala politics. Other than attending inauguration ceremonies and erecting towering pole lights, what good have the elected MPs done for the public? The party will demonstrate the abilities of an MP if our candidates are elected. We’ll operate in a manner that leads by example for the nation,” said Sabu, who is also Kitex Ltd.’s MD.
