KC(J) to demand ministerial berth before bypoll

KOTTAYAM: The Kerala Congress (Jacob) on Monday said it was in favour of getting a ministerial berth before the byelection in Piravom.Talking to reporters after the working committee meeting, party chairman Johnny Nellore said it will be beneficial for the party if it gets the ministerial berth before the election.“The issue has been taken up with senior UDF leaders personally. But, the demand will be placed before the UDF in its meeting on November 9,” Nellore said.He said the working committee members unanimously ratified the earlier decision, taken at the meeting in Thiruvananthapuram November 3, to nominate T M Jacob’s son and party’s youth wing president Anoop Jacob as the party’s candidate in the Piravom byelection.He also ruled out any move to merge with any of the Kerala Congress factions and exuded confidence of going alone in the coming days.He asserted that the KC(J) would continue to be part of the UDF. “The issue of merger was not in the agenda of the party. The KC(J) is aiming for the unity of the UDF,” he said.Nellore said the Kollencherry Church issue would not affect the results in the byelection. Each of the 12 grama panchayats in the Assembly segment has been put under the direct charge of one of the state committee members for coordinated campaign. The meeting decided to constitute T M Jacob Foundation and institute an award for outstanding legislator. A statue of T M Jacob will be put up at Piravom, Nellore said. The party also decided to organise a Jacob memorial meet in Kottayam on November 20.