Jacob party for Cabinet berth before polls

The party wanted to fill the vacancy in the Cabinet first,and a new minister could seek the mandate later within six months,said Nellore.

Soon after state Civil Supplies Minister T M Jacob was laid to rest at his native place in Ernakulam district on Tuesday,Kerala Congress (Jacob) said the party did not want to wait until the bypolls to have its nominee in the Cabinet.

After an informal meeting of the KC (Jacob) leaders,party chairman Johny Nellore said the party having no legislator in the Assembly after Jacobs death would not come in the way of getting the Cabinet berth. The party wanted to fill the vacancy in the Cabinet first,and a new minister could seek the mandate later within six months,said Nellore.

He said the party leadership would meet on Thursday and a formal demand would be put forward to the Chief Minister in this regard. The party nominee would be announced on Thursday.

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Meanwhile,Jacobite Church demanded that the successor for the late Kerala Congress leader should be from his family. Church spokesperson Bishop Joseph Mar Gregorious said both Jacobs son Anoop and his widow Daisy were eligible for the post. The mood in the Jacobite community is in favour of the family. However,it was up to the party leadership and the Congress to take a final decision on who should be fielded in the election. Anyway,the successor should be a Jacobite,said the Bishop.

Party sources said Anoop,president of the partys youth wing,was in the reckoning. He has the backing of the Church.