THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition to the style of functioning of district Congress committee (DCC) president Palode Ravi is brewing among party workers here. For the past several years, the organisational structure of Thiruvananthapuram DCC has weakened and this had impacted the electoral performance of the party. Currently, the party has only one MLA from the district - M Vincent who represents the Kovalam seat.
When Palode Ravi, 72, came to the helm of the district Congress almost a year ago, a tough challenge to strengthen the party so as to bring back its lost glory was awaiting him. A section of leaders and workers, mostly young, accuses Ravi of failing to make any headway in the mission. It is learnt that the name of Palode Ravi is among those district chiefs whose performances were rated not satisfactory in the performance audit report.
Recently when the DYFI workers targeted Indira Bhavan following revelations made by gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh against the chief minister, the district unit failed to stage a strong protest. A few workers and leaders, who reached the spot, organised a spontaneous protest, but the leadership was absent. Later, when Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi’s office was attacked by SFI activists, Palode Ravi had allegedly withdrawn himself from the protest march half way before it reached AKG Centre, the original destination.
Many leaders of the Congress whom TNIE spoke to said the leadership missed the much needed vibrancy . “The leadership should have brought in a vibrant and charismatic leader if young blood were to be infused into the party,” said a state Congress office-bearer.
Palode Ravi strongly denied the allegations. He told TNIE that he had organised protest marches when Indira Bhavan was targeted and also when Rahul Gandhi’s office was attacked. “When Rahul Gandhi’s office was targeted, Venugopal was there at Indira Bhavan. He asked all district committees to stage protest marches. Accordingly, I had led a protest march to the AKG Centre which the police blocked in front of Palayam mosque. I have been targeted deliberately by the local Congress leaders,” he said.