THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress legislature party meeting held on Monday witnessed a stormy scene after legislature party leader V D Satheesan locked horns with some MLAs who accused the party leadership of failing to convene meetings and winding them up abruptly without discussions. The flare-up comes amid alleged resentment within the party over the style of functioning of the leader of opposition.
The confrontation broke out just five minutes into the meeting. After a brief speech, KPCC president Sunny Joseph suddenly announced that the meeting was being wound up, saying he and Satheesan needed to attend a protest against police inaction over a BJP leader’s televised threat against senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
“Certain MLAs objected to it. They questioned the leadership’s decision to adjourn the meeting abruptly,” a senior MLA said. There was criticism that the leadership failed to convene legislature party meetings regularly. Sources said criticism was also raised against the way Satheesan convenes the legislature party meetings.
“In the past four-and-a-half years, the legislature party met only two or three times. Even then, discussions were cut short without any result. That is why UDF’s floor management has failed repeatedly,” one of the agitated MLAs pointed out.
According to several of the MLAs present at the meeting, with whom TNIE spoke, C R Mahesh (Karunagappally) and Mathew Kuzhalnadan (Muvattupuzha) led the protest pointing out that even with only 20 Congress members in the assembly, the leadership failed to convene legislature party meeting. “The meetings were held only three times in the past five years. Where else are we supposed to raise issues if not here?” an MLA asked the leadership at the meeting.
As temperature rose, Satheesan cut in, telling the agitated members that “enough is enough, and there should be no more talking.”
Sources said this further agitated the MLAs. “His stance was termed ‘arrogant’ by the legislators, who demanded to know what action would follow if they continued speaking,” said sources. Tension subsided only after senior leaders intervened.
Satheesan did not respond to the queries from TNIE.