THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As discontent and criticism over V M Sudheeran's stand on many issues with the government kept brewing within the Congress and among UDF coalition partners, the KPCC president held out the olive branch on Wednesday, in the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. ''There are no issues in the party which we cannot sort out. If one goes through media reports, there is a lot of rift and tension in the party. It is not true,'' Sudheeran said, adding that the UDF government would come to power with a huge majority after the Assembly polls.
'I' group captain Ramesh Chennithala too batted in the same vein, but the 'A' faction propelling Chandy didn't respond to Sudheeran's comments, though camaraderie was writ large at a meeting when the trio met at the KPCC headquarters on Wednesday.
Sudheeran said that when there were a few aberrations in an otherwise well-performing government, it had to be pointed out.
''The government has cancelled many controversial orders,'' he said, referring to the rolling back of the decisions of
the Revenue Department. ''There are a few more orders like the one on excess land of Peermade Hope Plantation. We have full faith in the government, in the chief minister," he said, while Chandy and Ramesh looked at each other meaningfully. ''We will face the people for the Assembly polls with full confidence and conviction,'' Sudheeran said, in his presidential address at a commemoration meet of former KPCC general secretary G Bhuvaneswaran.
''Chandy, Ramesh and myself are in the process of finalising the candidates list to be sent to the AICC. It will be a list acceptable to all, including youth and women,'' he said.
The mellowed stand of Sudheeran came after the government on Wednesday cancelled the exemption on land ceiling of 127.85 acres, granted to controversial godman Santosh Madhavan.
Sudheeran said that it was only the Congress which had attached importance to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes and uplifted them with policy measures.
In his inaugural speech, Chandy held back his views on party affairs. He said that only the Congress addressed the needs and aspirations of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes and brought them to the mainstream of society.
The Home Minister said that media reports on a rift in the leadership of the Congress were only exaggerated. "May be,
it is intended to balance reports on the hopeless situation in the CPM and LDF," he said.