Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, March 12 (IANS) Union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi Saturday said his dentist daughter Lekshmy, tipped to contest the Kottayam assembly seat that her late mother had won in 2001, has decided not to contest the April 13 Kerala poll.

“We felt Lekshmy is the right person to win back the seat and hence when I asked her if she would like to contest, she expressed her willingness because it was won by her mother. She told me if I wish her to contest, she will. Now we saw that there was some opposition to her candidature from certain quarters and we decided to opt out,” Ravi told media persons here.

Posters had come up in Kottayam against Lekshmy’s candidature and Ravi decided to withdraw his daughter from the race.

He said their only interest was to win the Kottayam seat, won by the Congress after a gap of four decades by his late wife Mercy Ravi in 2001 by a huge margin of 11,000, but lost again in 2006 by less than 500 votes.

Mercy Ravi did not contest the 2006 polls due to her ill health. A close aide of Ravi, Ajay Tharayil contested the seat but lost to the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader V.N. Vasavan by less than 500 votes.

Mercy Ravi passed away in 2009.

Ravi also said his family had a long political tradition.

“Is it a crime to express an interest that my daughter would like to contest?” he asked.

Lekshmy, who is in the faculty of a dental college in Kochi, had said she has a sentimental attachment to Kottayam.

“I have gone to the constituency on numerous occasions and I like it,” said Lekshmy.