THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The loyalists of Congress state president K Sudhakaran have approached the Congress central leadership against the camp led by Opposition Leader V D Satheesan for repeatedly coming up with false news against him through an online media site. The issue was raised in the recent political affairs committee meeting held in Wayanad by the Sudhakaran camp. Sudhakaran’s followers suspect that the ploy is to oust him and bring in a loyalist belonging to the Satheesan camp as state president.
The rapport between Sudhakaran and Satheesan had not been smooth ever since the delay in reinstating the former as Congress state president after the general elections.
But the duo has been careful not to show their discomfiture before the media or in the party programs. But senior leaders are aware that all is not well between the two. At the recent Wayanad conclave, K C Venugopal, MP, who is also the AICC general secretary (organisation), had a word with the two leaders and urged them to work united. A senior leader close to Sudhakaran told TNIE that over the past several months there has been a series of news coming up in a certain online news portal from Kottayam.
“A move has been going on against Sudhakaran by vested interests who regularly come up with stories based on rumours. The modus operandi of the Satheesan camp is that they will not deny such news which will give credence to those reports. As long as it is not denied, it’s half-truth. Sudhakaran is fed up with false news coming up against him on this particular website. He has taken up the issue before the central leadership and they have taken note of it. Satheesan camp wants their loyalist to come up at the helm of the party,” said a senior Congress leader.
Before the Lok Sabha elections, Sudhakaran was targeted by a section within the party citing his illnesses. But later when it was confirmed that it was a wrong medical diagnosis, the perpetrators within the party remained low. Satheesan camp has vehemently denied the allegations raised by Sudhakaran camp.
“How can one say that all negative news, especially in an online website, coming up against Sudhakaran has been hatched by the Leader of Opposition? It’s being too silly. On several occasions, Satheesan was also targeted. If such issues have to be highlighted before the central leadership, then we will have time only for that,” a source said.