THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan on Sunday drew a parallel between the style of functioning of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former CM and his father the late K Karunakaran.
Muraleedharan described as “extraordinary” Pinarayi Vijayan’s ability to please all sections of society and take them along.
“After Karunakaran, it’s Pinarayi who has mastered the art of balancing the interests of various communities,” the Vadakara MP said while addressing the leadership meet organised by the district Congress committee here.
Stressing the need to take all communities along, the former Congress state president said: “We need to keep good relationships with leaders of all communities, as Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy did during their tenures.”
‘Congress needs full-time workers’
The remarks of Muraleedharan assume significance as the new Congress leadership comprising party state president K Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheesan appears confused over their approach towards various communities.
Satheesan, who had announced that he would not knock at the doors of community leaders while taking over as Opposition leader, visited Changanassery archbishop last week with Sudhakaran.
There were reports he was denied appointment by the Pala bishop a n d Sudhakaran visi t e d him alone.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Muraleedharan said those who had killed Fr Stan Swamy were rallying behind Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt.
Referring to three leaders joining the CPM recently, he said Congress workers were moving to CPM when that party was trying hard to oust senior leaders like G Sudhakaran.
“When a movement that has invaded almost all parts of India is trying hard to find a foothold in Kerala, the attitude of CPM is that even if BJP wins here, let the Congress be finished. We can’t defeat both these parties using old weapons. We need sharper weapons and we need to fight united,” he said.
“I would have won from there. Now the Congress party is looking for full time workers and not part time workers. It is high time the party got rid of its old habits, where discipline matters to everyone including me,” said Muraleedharan.