Congress fields senior leader in Vengad panchayat’s 15th ward in Kannur

Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee member and senior Congress leader Mambaram Divakaran will contest as the United Democratic Front candidate from the 15th ward of Vengad grama panchayat. The ward 15, which was 13 before delimitation and won by Congress leader P.K. Indira, has been identified by the Congress as a key seat in the CPI(M)-ruled panchayat. Party leaders hope Mr. Divakaran’s candidature would help the party wrest the ward from the CPI(M) . He will be contesting against CPI(M) candidate C. Kumaran and BJP candidate M. Pradesh. Mr. Divakaran had earlier faced disciplinary action from the Congress over issues related to the governing body elections of the Indira Gandhi Cooperative Hospital. The dispute with the then KPCC president K. Sudhakaran was later resolved, paving the way for his return to the party. He is contesting from the ward adjacent to his residence. Vengad panchayat, which includes CPI(M) stronghold villages, is likely to witness a tough contest. Mr. Divakaran had contested against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadam in the 2016 Assembly elections.