KOCHI: Fissures in the ‘A’ group of the state Congress headed by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy have widened with Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan stepping down as the UDF convenor in a sudden move that surprised many in the party and front on Sunday.
Sources in the Congress said Behanan is the latest victim of the factional feud in the ‘A’ group, citing that leaders are parting ways with the group one by one following differences of opinion with senior leaders like Chandy. P T Thomas, MLA, once a loyalist of Chandy, left the ‘A’ camp after he was denied his sitting Lok Sabha seat, Idukki, in 2014 elections. Now it is the turn of Behanan, another influential leader of the group.
Interestingly, a KPCC functionary, who requested anonymity, told TNIE that Chandy-led ‘A’ group now has only leaders above 70 years.
“K C Joseph, M M Hassan, and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan are the prominent names in the group. The only exception is former MLA P C Vishnunath, who is now an AICC functionary. The veterans had been involved in a campaign to sideline Behanan alleging that he was holding on to two positions and that he had expressed his displeasure at quitting the convenor post for M M Hassan despite Chandy’s request. Behanan’s recent announcement that Jose K Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) had been suspended from UDF without holding talks with Chandy also irked these leaders,” he said. However, the same leaders remain silent on two working presidents of KPCC, K Sudhakaran and Kodikunnil Suresh, holding two posts after becoming Lok Sabha MPs.
“Behanan became the UDF convenor as per a package offered by the Congress high command after he agreed to part with his sitting assembly seat, Thrikkakara, to P T Thomas. Later, he was allocated the Chalakudy Lok Sabha seat. These two positions had not been bestowed on the account of ‘A’ group or Chandy. Hence, a section of leaders close to Chandy had been trying to sideline Behanan,” said a top KPCC leader. Though he had recently agreed to step down after the ‘A’ group decided to appoint Hassan as the UDF convenor, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal opined that he should be allowed to continue, which provoked the group’s leaders.
A section of leaders say that Behanan had coordinated with UDF constituents efficiently and worked hand in hand with KPCC chief Mullappally Ramachandran and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala. The decision to oust Jose faction as the two KC(M) warring groups had gone beyond the limit drew accolades from ordinary party workers. His stand against the government in the gold smuggling case and other issues was also highly appreciated, according to them.