As if bargaining factions was not enough, the Church is now seeking its pound of flesh to support the Congress.
When the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala relishes the bitter feud between its rivals, its own candidate selection is no simple task. As if bargaining factions was not enough, the Church is now seeking its pound of flesh to support the Congress.
The church, which once demanded one among its flock as candidate in Christian-dominated constituencies, now directly submits their list preferred Congress candidates to party president Sonia Gandhi.
The latest shepherd to go candidate-hunting is Latin Catholic Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil, who sent a list of four candidates in Ernakulam for the Congress to choose from. The bishop’s nominees — including NSUI president Hibi Eden and college professor Edward Edezhath — excludes all leaders suggested by the party’s state unit.
“Let Caesar have his due and God his,” Dominic Presentation, a former state minister shortlisted by the Congress to contest from Ernakulam, said. Besides the minister, the church also offered a cold shoulder to MLA KV Thomas despite his ‘affinity’ to the influential church.
The bishop’s letter, on behalf of the Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Association, reminds the Congress that the community is a force to reckon with in coastal constituencies, especially Ernakulam.
The bishop reasons political empowerment is the means to social justice. Though both UDF and LDF were choosing Latin Catholic candidates in Ernakulam to appease the church, the Congress is now asked to field the bishop’s nominee.
Ironically, whenever the church sponsored a Congress candidate, with public statements and pastoral letters, he lost. Edezhath, a close confidant of the high priests, lost by over 70,000 votes to an LDF independent in 2004.
Meanwhile, Congress’ Kerala chief Ramesh Chennithala, who rejected communal interference in candidate selection, said no has Bishop approached him.
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