KC Venugopal represents Kerala's Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said on Sunday that he will not contest Lok Sabha election on account of his organizational responsibilities. Mr Venugopal, who represents Kerala's Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, said he has communicated his decision to party leadership in the state.
"It is my responsibility to perform duty for the party. Also I am in-charge of (party affairs in) Karnataka. Contesting polls in Alappuzha by sitting in Delhi will be an injustice to my voters. I am personally interested in fighting polls but party's interests are supreme. In this context, there are practical difficulties in fighting election in Alappuzha," he said.
Mr Venugopal said, "I have conveyed my decision to KPCC President Mullappally Ramachandran, AICC General Secretary Oommen Chandy and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala."
In a reshuffle in January, Mr Venugopal had replaced Ashok Gehlot, days after he took over as the Rajasthan Chief Minister.
Parliamentary election in Kerala will be held in one-phase on April 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday. The CPI(M) has fielded its popular face and sitting MLA AM Aarif from Alappuzha constituency.