Kochi, Mar 17 (PTI) Eldhose Kunnappilly, the MLA from Perumbavoor assembly seat here, on Tuesday expressed hope that the Congress will give him another opportunity to win from the constituency for a third time.
However, his name did not figure in the first list of 55 candidates named by the Congress for the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala on April 9.
Of the 20 sitting MLAs, he is the only one whose name has not been confirmed yet.
Speaking to reporters here, Kunnappilly said he is not aware of any reasons as to why his name has not been confirmed yet.
He also said that he has not been told that he will not contest in the upcoming elections.
Kunnappilly said he was confident that the Congress will not abandon him.
He claimed that if he is selected, he can assure that he will win this time by over 10,000 votes.
The Congress leader also told reporters that he had risen through the ranks, thanks to his hard work and had done a lot of work for his constituency in the last 10 years.
“As a result, the party workers and leaders here want me to contest again. I have their support and that of all the Christian churches,” he claimed.
The Perumbavoor MLA is accused of “raping” a woman several times since July 2022 and the Crime Branch had filed a charge sheet against him in the case in 2024.
Kunnappilly told the reporters that he has given the entire file related to the sexual assault case against him to the party and let it examine if he is eligible as a candidate or not.
He also said that the case has not gone to trial yet.
He also made it clear that if he is not selected as a candidate, he will not leave the party.
“I have always been a Congressman and will continue to be so,” he said, adding that he only wanted to be a panchayat member, but the party gave him the opportunity to become an MLA.
He also asserted that whenever he is given a seat, he will win. PTI HMP ROH
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