Kerala Polls: A day after tonsure protest, Lathika Subhash to make 'decisive decision'

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 14: Former Mahila Congress president in Kerala Lathika Subhash, who resigned from the post and tonsured her head hurt over the denial of election ticket, on Monday said she would take a "decisive decision" about her political future this evening.

Her statement comes amidst widespread speculation that she would contest as an independent candidate from Ettumanoor, her hometown, in the April 6 Assembly polls.

"I will make a decisive decision about my future plan this evening. I am discussing it with my supporters and well- wishers. I cannot say anything about it right now," Subhash told PTI.

Sources close to her said the woman leader was likely to resign from her primary membership in the Congress party to contest from Ettumanoor constituency, the seat from where she had been keen to contest on the party ticket in the upcoming elections.

She had already said she would not join any other political party.

However, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday made it clear that there was no possibility of any discussions with Subhash at this juncture.

Though she deserved a seat, the public protest should have been avoided, the senior party leader reiterated.

In an embarrassment to the Congress in Kerala, Lathika Subhash, on Sunday resigned from the post and tonsured her head shortly after the candidate list for the April 6 Assembly polls was released in New Delhi.

The 56-year old senior leader also shaved her head sitting in front of the Congress office here as a mark of protest.

Subahash, who met reporters at the party headquarters Indira Bhavan here, soon after the KPCC chief Mullappally Ramachandran announced the party list in New Delhi, said it was short of women candidates.

Of the list of 86 candidates released by the Congress, only 10 are women.

A weeping Subhash told reporters that she had tonsured her head as a symbol of protest for all the women in the party who have been toiling hard for the success of other candidates, have been sidelined and ignored by the leadership for years.

She also said she did not want to continue in a position which could not earn her even a deserved election ticket.

However, Mullappally Ramachandran rejected her charges that she had been sidelined.