THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state Congress revamp which was to be completed on Wednesday has been indefinitely delayed following the adamant stand taken by the ‘I’ faction of the party. The big three of the state Congress, Mullappally Ramachandran, Ramesh Chennithala and Oommen Chandy, had earlier decided that the ‘One man, One post’ condition was necessary while choosing the party office-bearers.
While Oommen Chandy and K C Joseph of the ‘A’ group were willing for this settlement, the ‘I’ group leadership did not subscribe to this. Highly placed sources in the Congress told Express that the group wants to accommodate former minister and present legislator from Thiruvananthapuram Central constituency V S Sivakumar as the third working president in place of late M I Shanavas.
Express had earlier reported that the two working presidents of the party, Kodikkunnil Suresh and K Sudhakaran -- both elected to the Lok Sabha -- are unwilling to step down from the party position.
The group is demanding the accommodation of Sivakumar under the guise that he is a Nair and that the NSS wants him to be given the post.
However, sources in the party told Express the NSS never interferes in matters related to Congress posts and that this is a bogey raised by the ‘I’ group to get its leader accommodated in the party hierarchy. Chennithala, who leads the ‘I’ faction, told Express, “The party revamp will take place shortly. This is a wrong information and there is no hard bargaining for the party positions.
The KPCC president is holding discussions with all concerned including political affairs committee members and will reach a consensus on party office-bearers.”According to Chennithala, there is no hard and fast rule regarding party posts and leaders are accommodated based on several factors.
Group beforeparty’s interests
‘I’ faction is jockeying for V S Sivakumar, MLA,’s appointment as third working president citing the fact he is a Nair and hence the NSS wants him to be given the post