Kottayam emerges power centre

KOTTAYAM: With the announcement of the Congress nominees in the UDF Government, Kottayam district has emerged as a power  centre. Chandy’s close lieutenants  - K C Joseph and Tiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan - are in the ministry apart from two others of the district,  Chief Minister Chandy and Finance Minister and Kerala Congress leader K M Mani.K C Joseph,  the conscience- keeper of Chandy in Kottayam, was made the  DCC president three years ago even when he was representing Irikkur constituency in Kannur district. He was the secretary of the Congress legislature party. He won from Irikkur with a thumping margin.  Joseph  hails from Changanassery and is a permanent resident of Kanhikkuzhy here.   Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, elected from the Kottayam  segment, is also confidant of Chandy. Like K C Joseph, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had moved out to Adoor for an Assembly ticket after he lost a byelection on his home turf. He represented Adoor segment four times.  Both Joseph and Thiruvanchoor are former state Youth Congress presidents. Sarah and Lalithambika, the wives of K C Joseph and Tiruvanchoor respectively,  serve in the TB Road branch of the Punjab National Bank here.