THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Breaking their silence, Mullappally Ramachandran and VM Sudheeran, two former state Congress presidents, unleashed an attack against the incumbent party chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday.
While Sudheeran took up the cudgels against Sudhakaran's social media fans, who call themselves KS Brigade, Mullappally questioned the state leadership's decision to go ahead with the party revamp when the national leadership has already announced organisational elections.
Party sources say Mullappally has been uncharacteristically silent for the past several weeks after his suggestions over party revamp were overlooked. He was quite peeved as the state leadership did not take any corrective steps despite the assurance given to him by national general secretary (in charge of the state) Tariq Anwar.
He had even skipped the first meeting of the newly constituted state committee. That proved to be calm before the storm. Talking to reporters at Kozhikode on Sunday, Mullappally said his 'silence was eloquent' and warned that Sudhakaran should not provoke him to talk further.
"As the state Congress president, it is Sudhakaran’s responsibility to hold the organisational elections. He has already said that he would also contest in the polls. Then what is the rationale behind him holding them? Also, it is not fair to go ahead with the party revamping when the national leadership has announced organisational elections," said Mullappally.
In an interview to a TV channel, Sudheeran said Sudhakaran’s leadership will not keep the party in good stead. Calling KS Brigade a group of 'fascists', Sudheeran alleged the social media fan club has been targeting Sudhakaran’s detractors within and outside the party.
When Tariq Anwar met Sudheeran to dissuade the latter from resigning from party posts, one of his demands was to disband KS Brigade. But nothing has happened till now. This, many say, was the reason for his tirade against Sudhakaran.
"I express my displeasure without any qualm. That is my style. I have never acted in revenge against anyone. Sudhakaran's style of functioning is not good even for Kannur, as the number of Congress legislators from the region have come down from four to two now. He has attacked his own colleagues at press meets even when he has banned them from making public statements," Sudheeran said.