THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As UDF leaders met media persons after deciding to take Kerala Congress (M) back into the UDF fold here on Friday, they faced a barrage of questions regarding the denial of the Rajya Sabha seat to P J Kurien.When asked about the rumours that it was he who had denied the RS seat to incumbent member Kurien, former chief minister and AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy said, “I was never instrumental in denying the RS seat to Kurien as alleged. I have actively campaigned for Kurien in all the elections he had fought since 1980.”
“In fact, when Kurien was contesting for the first time to the RS, the claim for the seat was for KC(M) and I had convinced the party leadership and helped Kurien get the seat. In 2012, when Kurien wanted to contest, I had opined that a leader from Malabar be given the seat and had suggested the name of N P Moideen, but later Kurien was given the seat as he wanted it and the high command supported his candidature. As the chief minister, I went along with the decision and Kurien was given the seat,” he recalled.
“Kurien is raising such allegations as he does not have a clear idea of the reasons behind the decision of providing the Rajya Sabha seat to the KC(M). I will not lodge a complaint against Kurien,” he added.
On KC(M)’s return, Chandy said, “The homecoming of KC(M) will lead to the UDF gaining political ground across the state. It’s a collective decision of the UDF to bring KC(M) back to our fold.”
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the RS seat was allocated to KC(M) for the larger interest of the UDF; it is a one-time decision and the KC(M) will not make a claim for a second time.
To a question on why the KPCC political affairs committee was not taken into confidence when such an important political decision was being taken, he said, “In earlier days also when V M Sudheeran was the KPCC president, such important decisions were taken without consulting the political affairs committee or the KPCC executive.” Chandy, Sudheeran and I took just five minutes to include RSP in the UDF and allocate the sitting Kollam Lok Sabha seat to RSP leader Premachandran,” he said.
On another question whether he wanted Kurien to be renominated and that it was Chandy who had scuttled the move, he said, “Kurien is a senior leader and I have all the respect and love for him, but this was a collective decision to strengthen the UDF.”He added that IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty had never exerted any pressure on him or other Congress leaders for giving the RS seat to KC(M). Meanwhile, UDF convener P P Thankachan scoffed at rumours that he had stayed away from the meeting due to his unhappiness over the Rajya Sabha seat issue. In a press release, he said he had some urgent personal matters and taken the consent of the UDF leadership to skip the meeting.
Chandy’s flex defaced
Alappuzha: Unidentified person threw oil on a flex board of Oommen Chandy in Alappuzha. The flex board was placed near the District Court by the Congress Town Committee praising Chandy for his new post as AICC general secretary. The defaced flex was spotted on Friday morning.