Thiruvananthapuram

Amid reports that senior Indian National Congress leader K. Sudhakaran is yet to reach an understanding with party leadership over his interest in contesting the upcoming Assembly elections, the Kannur MP on Friday shared an emotional message on social media recalling his deep connection with Kannur.

Sudhakaran, who was in New Delhi for discussions with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on finalising candidates, returned to his hometown on Thursday.

There have been reports that the party leadership may not allow Members of Parliament to contest the Assembly polls.

In a Facebook post, the Congress leader described Kannur as inseparable from his political journey and recalled standing at the forefront during periods of political violence to protect party workers.

Reminding party colleagues of his sacrifices, Sudhakaran said that while others may forget the difficult path he had travelled in politics, those experiences remained vivid for him.

“Kannur is my heart’s blood. The Congress in Kannur is also my address. Like a mother hen protecting her chicks from stones, knives, sickles and bombs, I stood in the front and fought to protect my brothers,” he wrote.

He said he could never remain a silent spectator when his colleagues were allegedly targeted by “communist forces”.

Sudhakaran added that the dreams he and his colleagues built for the party remained alive in his mind, even as he remembered those who lost their lives in political violence.

“For that soil, K. Sudhakaran will always stand in the forefront carrying the Congress tricolour flag in his heart. On the land where my blood and sweat have fallen and where my colleagues shed their blood, I will stand with my head held high,” he said.

He also stated that while protecting the party movement, he had never thought about his home or family.

Meanwhile, Sunny Joseph, president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said Sudhakaran remained the party’s strongest leader in Kannur.

“I met him yesterday. He told me that he would go forward with whatever decision the party takes,” Joseph said.

He added that the party had not yet taken a decision on whether MPs would be barred from contesting the Assembly elections.

“No decision has been taken. There is still time as the election has not yet been declared,” he said.

K. C. Venugopal of the AICC said Sudhakaran had attended the meeting with the KPCC president on Thursday.

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“He did not leave without attending the meeting. He left as he had to go,” Venugopal said, adding that discussions on candidates were continuing across constituencies with a focus on winnability.