THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The proposed revamp of the Congress state unit from booth to district level over a period of 20 days beginning from August 10, will not end up as an exercise to share the spoils by various groups in the party, KPCC president V M Sudheeran said here on Thursday.
“The organisational revamp is viewed as a mission of the Congress, ahead of the local bodies and Assembly polls. Though the party leadership chipped in a united effort, the organisational weakness at the lower rung was evident and it was reflected in the defeat in a few segments in the Lok Sabha polls. It was felt that reconstitution of booth-level committees is very important,” he said. Addressing a news conference after a meeting of KPCC office-bearers, former presidents, official spokesmen, parliamentary party office-bearers, District Congress Committees and feeder organisations’ presidents, Sudheeran said that there was a common feeling at the meet that an overdose of groupism should be resisted in the grassroots-level exercise. “The presence of various groups in the party is a reality. However, it should not be the criteria for the elections.” “Excellence in party work and one’s organisational prowess, their public acceptance and all-round track record should be the yardstick while electing new office-bearers.”
“Workers and party supporters should also maintain utmost vigil, as a general rule, to forbid those consuming liquor and associated with liquor and narcotic trade from getting elected to the party posts,” he said. Sudheeran said that booth level elections will be held in 21,458 booths across the state on August 10, at 4 pm. “Instructions have gone that all leaders should work at the booth level to make the exercise fruitful. Those assigned with the task of conducting it should send formal letters to all party workers and supporters to ensure wide participation,” he said. He added that those office-bearers who had been office-bearers for the past ten years and those found ineffective even if they held posts for lesser years will be barred from contesting again at the mandalam and block levels.
“Thursday’s meet decided to give a relaxation in the case of DCC office-bearership on their tenure,if they had a proven track record. Their role in the campaign for the last LS polls will also be taken into account.” “Heads of local bodies will not be barred from becoming mandalam-block-district committee members, but they cannot contest for higher office-bearership. Anyway, half of the office-bearers will be new faces,” Suheeran said. Mandalam presidents will be selected by the DCCs with the approval of the KPCC. In the case of block presidents and DCC office-bearers, KPCC will have a final word. The election of mandlam-block office bearers is slated for August 20 and that of DCC office-bearers on August 30, Sudheeran said.
The meet decided to observe a ‘Quit Violence Day’ during a select day spanning over a week beginning from August 9, the Quit India Day, according to the convenience of mandalam Congress committees. It will raise the slogan of secularism, humanism and peace,he said.
Separate resolutions deploring the Gaza killings and litterateur Arundhati Roy’s allegedly blasphemous remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, presented by KPCC vice- presidents’ M M Hassan and V D Satheesan MLA, were adopted by the meet. “The genocide in the Gaza strip of Palestine is brutal. The meet expressed its solidarity with the people there who are longing for freedom. Solidarity meets will be organised in all districts before August 9,” Sudheeran said.