Kerala: Mahila Congress president tonsures head at KPCC headquarters after denied candidature

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The KPCC headquarters at Indira Bhavan here witnessed dramatic scenes just after KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran read out the candidates list in New Delhi on Sunday.
State mahila Congress president Lathika Subhash who failed to find her name in the list got her head tonsured in front of Indira Bhavan. She also quit from the president post.
Later on speaking to TOI, Lathika said that she took this step in protest of denying the rights of women. "Why Mahila Congress president was denied seat to contest?," asked Lathika who wanted to contest from Ettumanur. Those who have been serving as MLAs and ministers for decades will not know the pain I am going through now," said Lathika who is a post graduate in English.
"As a woman I am very sad. Being the Mahila Congress president I had requested the party to reserve 20pc of seats for women. We expected at least one woman candidate from each district so that there will be at least 14," said Lathika who has worked as a journalist and teacher earlier.
Before tonsuring her head she spoke at length about her political life which started in the 1990s. "I came into state politics in 2000 when I became the Kottayam district panchayath president. Since 2000 my name will prop up in every elections as a possible candidate and when the candidates list comes my name won’t be there," she said.
The UDF had fielded Lathika against CPM heavyweight V S Achutanandan in Malampuzha in 2011. She had filed a complaint against VS for attempting to malign her name and reputation through a controversial statement which she says still haunts her.
Lathika whose husband K R Subhash who too is a Congress party worker also ruled out chances of joining any other parties. However chances of her contesting as an independent candidate in Ettumanur constituency cannot be ruled out. She said that she will decide about it after reaching her home in Ettumanur. Lathika had arrived at the KPCC headquarters here on Sunday morning and was watching Mullappally read out the list in the television. After not finding her name in the list she came out and spoke emotionally to the waiting reporters. In an unexpected move she tonsured her head. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala who had scheduled to hold a press conference at the KPCC at 5pm had to cancel it to avoid a face to face with Lathika. UDF convener M M Hasan arrived at the place and said that he was personally sad that Lathika failed to get a seat. "I am 56 and not a 15-year-old girl. Don’t think that you can easily bluff me," said Lathika to Hasan regarding giving her hope till the last minute by assuring her Vypeen constituency after ruling out Ettumnur.
Hasan said that the Congress party wanted to give a seat to Lathika Subhash. "She had asked Ettumanur. But UDF ally Joseph group was not ready to leave Ettumanur," said Hasan who added that the Congress were ready to give her seats other than Ettumanur.
Reacting to the protest, KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran asked whether anyone will tonsure head if an Assembly seat is denied. "This may not be the real reason for that act,” he said.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala termed the act as a new trend in the state politics. "Those who fail to get a seat start protesting. However, such protests are not good for political parties," he said.