Group satraps fall in line, reshaped KPCC executive to turn young

On the whipping of the Congress high command, the new, 282-member KPCC executive may finally become relatively more young and mixed.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Half of the KPCC executive members are below 45. In total strength, women and SC/STs comprise at least 10 per cent each. Unbelievable? On the whipping of the Congress high command, the new, 282-member KPCC executive may finally become relatively more young and mixed.

Group managers in the state Congress are grappling with an exercise to trim and reshape the 282-member KPCC executive list, as the state unit has cut a sorry figure as the last runner in the tracks set by the party for a national-level drive even after getting to an early start. “Latest by Tuesday, a final list in tune with the directives of  the high command and within our constraints will be sent to New Delhi,’’ KPCC president M M Hassan told Express.

The task is proving to be tiresome for the captains of  the prominent ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups as not less than 30 in the list earlier forwarded to the High Command is going to find seats kept warm for  them being given to a new lot. Also, another 30 from the list is going to be replaced by comparatively younger ones. Half of those in the list were in the 50-60 age group.

With replacements in the pipeline, the 45 and below aged will gain an upper hand by half of the total strength. A minimum 5 per cent add on to the existing women strength in the first list, which accounted for 5 per cent of  the total strength, is also sure . SC/ST community members, who were a meagre 4 per cent, will also get a bigger share up to 10 per cent.  Congress scion Rahul Gandhi had reportedly frowned at finding at least 15 members aged above 75 in the list.

He was also at a loss on how those like A K Antony, Oommen Chandy and Thennala Balakrishna Pillai can be substituted with others. Young leaders were rushing to the High Command for inclusion in the list alleging state satraps are not giving them their due and the fairness of the list is shot down by factional interests. Added to it are the grievances of  a few MPs and intermittent potshots of  leaders remaining detached from the high-voltage group drama like V M Sudheeran, who are keen to see a few of their nominees in the list.

Of  late, Rahul has even stopped entertaining those who have only a baggage of complaints, but given strict instructions all sections should get adequate representation and the KPCC itself should do the job.

“The concerns of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was waging a struggle for 33 per cent women representation in Parliament and had even written to the Prime Minister for that, and of  Rahul Gandhi, who is struggling to address the demands of  the youth, are indeed true. We are striving hard to recast the list,’’ Hassan said.

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