Oommen Chandy expected to lead Cong-UDF battle in coming polls

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is expected to lead the Opposition Congress led UDF battle in the crucial assembly polls due in April-May this year in Kerala.

The anticipated move follows consultations at the top party level in Delhi, Congress sources here indicated.

The Chief Ministerial candidate will be decided after the polls.

A 10-member committee has been formed with Chandy as chairman to oversee the election and draw up strategies to counter the ruling CPI(M) led LDF, which is aiming to ride to power for a second term, thus breaking the jinx that the two fronts can rule only alternately.

Chandy (77), along with CWC member A K Antony, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC President MullapallyRamachandran, had held discussions with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi at Delhi on Monday.

Antony later said the chief ministerial candidate will be announced after the front's 'victory.' The leaders had later told media personnel that they would face the polls unitedly and the only agenda was to ensure that the party and the front come out with flying colors.

Chandy was showered with rose petals and given a warm welcome by party workers at the airport here on his return late last night from Delhi.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and RSP, both coalition partners of the front, had after the UDF'slacklustre performance during the recent local body polls, come out openly, suggesting that Chandy should be brought back to the forefront and given more responsibility.

Other members in the committee include Antony, Chennithala, Mullapally Ramachandran, AICC leader in charge of Kerala, Tariq Anwar, and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal.