KOCHI: The initial phase of the block-level revamp within the Congress has encountered obstacles, with the ‘A’ faction deciding to boycott District Congress Committee (DCC) meetings and abstain from further reorganisation processes. They allege that the consensus reached regarding the appointments was disregarded and the opinions of veteran leader Oommen Chandy were not taken into account.
The first list, released late at night on the party’s Facebook page, faced criticism from various factions, including the ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups. MP M K Raghavan, a close confidant of MP Shashi Tharoor, expressed dissatisfaction, stating that community-level aspects were not considered in the appointments and that the decision to consult respective MPs was also not followed.
UDF convener M M Hassan, it is reported, has written a letter to the Congress high command seeking intervention in the matter, expressing his discontent with the revamp. Former UDF convener MP Benny Behanan openly expressed his dissatisfaction on Monday, alleging that the high command’s directive to carry out the revamp through consensus was ignored. “The reorganisation was conducted at midnight via Whatsapp, which does not suit a democratic party like Congress. The views of Oommen Chandy were also not considered and the current revamp has thwarted the attempts of uniting the party through consensus,” he said.
Behanan said that some leaders formed new groups by luring members from various factions and stated that he would not meet with the KPCC president regarding the revamp. Acknowledging the widespread dissatisfaction with the revamp, a Congress leader stated that the reorganisation was carried out considering the interests of new factions, including those aligned with AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, and KPCC President K Sudhakaran. The leader, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that appointments were made in approximately 70 blocks without any consultations by the KPCC leadership.
In Alappuzha, Venugopal’s faction dominated, with nine out of 18 block committee presidents being his supporters. Ramesh Chennithala’s nominees secured five block committee positions, while the ‘A’ faction received only three, according to party sources. In Kannur, Sudhakaran’s faction gained the upper hand, securing 15 out of 23 block committee presidents, leading to protests from the ‘A’ faction, which received only five presidential positions.
Party workers are expressing grievances about the neglect of those who have served Congress for many years and the inclusion of undeserving candidates. The appointment of a former Kerala Congress leader as a block president in Idukki has caused dissatisfaction among party workers, while in Pathanamthitta, the nominees recommended by former MP P J Kurien were considered.
Leaders are concerned that the unrest within the party will have severe consequences, especially as parliamentary elections are scheduled for early next year.
Reorganisation of Block Committees completed
T’Puram: Congress completed the reorganisation of block committees by announcing the block presidents for Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Malappuram on Monday. The party now has 282 block presidents in the state. KPCC officials claimed that it was successful in selecting presidents in 180 blocks without any dissenting voices.