With the returning officer on Thursday rejecting the nomination of KC(M) leader Jose Tom Pulikkunnel, who sought to contest the September 23 Pala by-poll under the party symbol, it was decided that he would fight as an independent candidate of the UDF.
This comes a day after a leader of the P J Joseph faction of KC(M) filed his nomination as a party candidate for the coming by-election.
Joseph Kandathil had filed the nomination days after the Congress-led UDF announced the candidature of Pulikkunnel, a leader of the Jose K Mani faction in the KC(M).
However, Kandathil withdrew his candidature on Thursday, after it became clear that the party symbol would not be allotted.
The Returning Officer (RO) rejected Pulikkunnel's nomination to contest as party candidate after taking into consideration an Idukki Munsif Court order, preventing Jose K Mani from taking charge as the chairman of the regional party.
The Joseph faction had also submitted a letter to the Election Commission requesting it not to allot Pulikkunnel the prestigious "two leaves" symbol.
The by-poll has been necessitated following the demise of KC(M) founder leader and former finance minister K M Mani on April 9.
After the demise of the veteran leader, the KC(M), a key partner in the UDF, has been divided over the leadership issue.
While one faction is headed by Jose K Mani, son of K M Mani, other group is led by former minister P J Joseph.
The UDF on Thursday declared Pulikkunnel as the independent candidate after his nomination as KC(M) candidate was rejected on various grounds including that the papers was not signed by the party in-charge.
During his speech at the first UDF convention held in the Pala constituency, Pullikkunnel said he was not disappointed over not being allotted the party symbol and rather it was late K M Mani who was his symbol.
P J Joseph, who was also present during the meet expressed hope that the rift between the two factions would be over soon.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mani C Kappan is the candidate of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the bypoll.
Kappan, also a film producer and actor, is trying his electoral luck for the fourth consecutive time now from Pala, which had been represented by Mani for over five decades.
BJP Kottayam district president N Hari is the NDA candidate.
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