Veena George makes first public appearance amid speculations over candidature

Amid mounting speculation over her candidature in the upcoming Assembly elections, Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday attended her first public programme following the alleged attack on her by KSU activists.

Wearing a neck collar, the Minister inaugurated the Arogyam Anandam Fest in Pathanamthitta. Addressing the gathering, she asserted that the LDF government had overseen unprecedented infrastructure expansion in the State’s health sector and alleged that concerted attempts were being made to weaken the public health system.

“In Pathanamthitta alone, there has been significant expansion of health infrastructure, including facilities for medical education and a cath lab, among others,” the Minister said.

The event assumed added significance amid reports that the Minister’s husband, George Joseph, had approached the CPI(M) leadership requesting that not to field her in the upcoming Assembly elections by citing family reasons. According to sources, the issue was discussed at a meeting of the CPI(M) district secretariat on Monday and has since been reported to the State leadership.

Final decision with party

As Ms. George is an invitee to the CPI(M) State committee, the final decision rests with the party’s State leadership, which is expected to seek clarification from both the Minister and her husband.

Ms. George, the sitting MLA from Aranmula, has already been recommended by the CPI(M) State committee for another term in the constituency, with the district committee also backing her candidature. She first won from Aranmula in 2016 and retained the seat in 2021. In 2019, she contested the Lok Sabha election from Pathanamthitta but was defeated.

Meanwhile, the decision on her candidature is equally crucial for the UDF, which has yet to identify a suitable challenger in Aranmula. Although several names were considered, many were dropped after assessments of their electoral viability.

The UDF’s strategy has been to field a candidate capable of countering Ms. George’s strong personal connect and political influence in the constituency. Community considerations have also figured prominently in the deliberations.

The State leadership is treating the Aranmula selection with seriousness. Among the names discussed is that of Abin Varkey, national secretary of the Youth Congress, though no consensus has emerged so far. In the course of these discussions, the possibility of a seat swap with the Kerala Congress was also explored, with the Congress keen on taking over the Thiruvalla seat as part of such an arrangement.