Actress Sheela’s entry into Congress politics so far is a non-starter. This is not surprising to anyone who knows Congress politics and groupism in the State.
Congress leaders in the State would not countenance lateral entry of leaders into the party that would affect their chances. The only one they would willingly or grudgingly tolerate is Rahul Gandhi. Recall the bitterness that the entry of Shashi Tharoor generated in the State unit despite the credentials he presented and the support of the high command.
Sheela went to none other than Defence Minister A. K. Antony, apparently thinking that he is her best bet. Mr. Antony and his wife warmly received her but cold-shouldered her proposal referring her to KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala. Can Ramesh Chennithala afford to spare her a Rajya Sabha when all the UDF constituents are warring for seats? Can he even think of fielding her in the next elections?
And can she win an election from Kerala? That she was the heartthrob of the older generation on the silver screen is not sufficient for her to get electoral support in Kerala. Even the evergreen hero Prem Nazir could not do that in his heydays, that too despite being sponsored by K. Karunakaran. If one should know the gravity of his failure, remember that Karunakaran was one who had managed to make non-entities like A. Charles and M. R. Raghuchandra Bal to win elections and get foothold in the party.