KOCHI: The KPCC camp convened to take stock of the electoral debacle commenced here on Saturday with plenty of fireworks with both the state and Central leaderships facing the ire of participants.KPCC president V M Sudheeran had to bear the brunt of most of the criticism, while former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and those who were running the former UDF Government were taken to task by many speakers for the lapses which had distanced the masses from the Congress and UDF. CWC member A K Antony was also not spared.The general feeling that prevailed was that the controversial orders in the last leg of the UDF Government and the drama enacted in New Delhi over candidate selection proved disastrous. It was pointed out that many statements of Sudheeran on the eve of the polls vitiated the atmosphere. Many also felt that the party Central leadership did not intervene to settle issues.
KPCC vice-president M M Hassan put it candidly to Sudheeran that he should quit as the KPCC president, owning moral responsibility for the poor show. He said Chandy alone could not be held responsible for the setback.Hassan also insisted that only a grassroot level revamp would save the party. V D Satheesan MLA, another KPCC vice-president, demanded a ‘generation change’ in the leadership. He also blamed Sudheeran for his tough stand on the liquor policy. Satheesan asked whether anyone could say for sure that the policy had secured votes of women in large numbers.
‘Cong had no strategy’
Many speakers including Benny Behanan and K Sudhakaran said there was no effective and collective strategy from the party to counter the campaign of the Left to woo the minorities and BJP line of splitting the majority community votes. Sudhakaran said entire KPCC leadership should be revamped and a new team should be put in charge along with measures to hold organisational polls. Behanan pointed out that his candidature in Trikkakara was made an issue unnecessarily.
Padmaja, Shanimol abstain
Padmaja Venugopal and Shanimol Usman, the women candidates who lost the polls from Thrissur and Ottappalam respectively, were conspicuous by their absence. Shanimol had walked out of the KPCC executive meet held after the poll along with Bindu Krishna, Mahila Congress state president. However, Bindu was present at this meet.