THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The objection raised by the incumbent Youth Congress(YC) state president, Shafi Parambil, against the interview-based selection process to choose his successor has been rejected by the national leadership.
It has been reliably learnt that the three candidates who receive the maximum votes will be invited for an interview with the All India Youth Congress leadership. Additionally, the leadership has extended the deadline for filing nominations by one day.
“The national YC leadership intends to ensure that youth leaders do not solely rely on their influence to win through voting. By introducing the interview process, they aim to select only the best candidates for the position. After an initial round of interviews, it is rumoured that Rahul Gandhi will himself interview to assess the candidates’ commitment and loyalty to the party,” revealed a source. Shafi was unavailable for comment.
As the YC election approaches, senior Congress leaders have not disclosed who their common candidate will be.
While Rahul Mamkoottathil has the support of V D Satheesan, it remains uncertain whether K Sudhakaran will endorse him.
The ‘I’ group has already fielded YC state general secretary Abin Varkey, while YC state general secretary Binu Chulliyil is aligned with K C Venugopal.
Since the ‘A’ group announced Rahul Mamkoottathil as their candidate, strongly supported by Shafi Parambil, several youth leaders have voiced their opposition to Rahul.
The 33-year-old has gained popularity among television viewers for his confrontational style in live debates. However, he seems to have limited support among youth leaders in the ‘A’ group.
On Wednesday, TNIE reported on the dissatisfaction expressed by some youth leaders from the Oommen Chandy camp towards Rahul. On Thursday, N S Nusoor, the incumbent YC vice-president, indirectly criticized Rahul on Facebook, stating,
“The ineligible should not walk away with the candidature after we have put in so much effort.”“While leaders were making decisions within closed doors, an effort should have been made to understand Oommen Chandy’s perspective, as he is confined within four walls due to ill health. The true Oommen Chandy faction will be present in this YC election. More information will follow,” wrote Nusoor.