Congress leaders from Kerala making a beeline to Srinagar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A large contingent of the state Congress leaders has started flying to Jammu and Kashmir to attend the valedictory programme of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. However, the national leadership's directive that leaders should bear travel expenses and accommodation from their own pocket has been a concern for them, as finding accommodation in Srinagar is going to be tough.

A few lakh Congress leaders and rank and file from across the country are expected to attend the culmination of the padayatra on January 30 with a public rally to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi at Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium. Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, state congress president K Sudhakaran and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala are set to attend the valedictory.

Those who cannot afford to bear the inflated airfare due to the peak travel season from Kerala to Jammu and Kashmir have already started their journey by train. The BJY’s culmination will be on January 31, the eve of the first day of Parliament's budget session. This has given a leeway to the majority of the Congress MPs from the state to attend the mega rally at Srinagar. But there is still a lack of clarity on whether police will allow the large contingent of leaders and workers to attend the public programme due to security issues.

A senior Congress MP told The New Indian Express that KC Venugopal, national general secretary (organization) has urged all the MPs to reach Srinagar. “It all depends on how many will be allowed by the police to set foot in Srinagar. Terrorist attacks have been frequent in Jammu and Kashmir over the last few days.

But the interesting fact is that the national leadership has asked the MPs to bear the expenses towards travel and accommodation from our pockets. Travelling to Srinagar will not be a problem. But getting a decent accommodation is a Herculean task there due to the convergence of leaders from across the country,” said a senior Congress MP.

State Congress president K Sudhakaran and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan will leave for Srinagar on January 28. A majority of the party office bearers, legislators, Mahila Congress, Youth Congress and KSU leaders have also decided to mark their presence at the function.

With the eighth session of the 15th Kerala legislative assembly beginning on Monday, the state Congress leadership wants the assembly session to be re-arranged in such a way.

Rahul Mamkoottathil, Youth Congress state general secretary told The New Indian Express that he along with a large group of youth leaders will be leaving on January 28 to attend the historic programme that is expected to change the political milieu of the country. But the inclement weather is going to be another challenge for the Kerala leaders as the temperature has dipped to sub-zero over the last few days in Jammu and Kashmir.