THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after K Muraleedharan, MP, quit as the chairman of KPCC media campaign committee, MPs K Sudhakaran, Kodikunnil Suresh, Anto Antony, M K Raghavan and T N Prathapan have come forward showing their displeasure at the recent organisational revamp. While KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran had taken pride in giving adequate representation to all communities, dissension is brewing among the disgruntled MPs.
When 96 KPCC secretaries and 175 executive committee members were appointed recently along with an additional 10 general secretaries to the existing 34, Mullappally had told TNIE that it was part of community balancing. Mullappally had put his foot down after the MPs presented a list before him and another list before the AICC leadership creating confusion.
A section within the party is unhappy with the way in which Kodikunnil Suresh and Sudhakaran are holding on to the post of KPCC working president when Benny Behanan had quit as UDF convener citing ‘one man, one post’ policy. Kodikunnil and Sudhakaran, meanwhile, are upset with the way in which Mullappally, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy had sidelined their lists. Kodikunnil was keen to appoint one of his personal staff members as KPCC secretary which was declined by Mullappally.
Raghavan, Anto Antony and Prathapan have also shot off letters to the AICC leadership saying that decisions are being taken by the three senior leaders unilaterally without proper consultations. While Chennithala has claimed that grievances of the MPs will be addressed, Muraleedharan’s public outburst has not gone down well with Mullappally.
The AICC leadership had appointed the 21-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC) as the highest body of the KPCC to see that the senior leaders come together to discuss crucial issues. “The next PAC meeting is expected to be stormy against the trio as the majority of us are not being consulted on pertinent issues regarding the party. Benny Behanan has also been given a shoddy deal at the hands of the group leadership. The allies have also expressed their strong displeasure at the way the three leaders have been running the show without taking the other senior leaders in the party into confidence,” Muraleedharan told TNIE.
On Tuesday, the 96 KPCC secretaries are scheduled to take oath at Indira Bhavan at 11am. In the coming days, they will be entrusted with responsibilities which include assisting KPCC general secretaries and charge of various districts and feeder organisations in the run-up to the local body elections.
‘There are issues related to rejig in state unit’
Kozhikode: K Muraleedharan, MP, has said that there was difference of opinion related to rejig in Congress state unit. He said that he does not intend to air it in public. “Gone are the days of vilification. The party is facing many challenges at the national and state levels and I would not do anything to discredit the party,” he said. Muraleedharan was speaking to reporters here on Monday after he resigned as KPCC media campaign committee chairman. It is unfortunate that I get to know about the decisions taken by the party from the media and not directly from the leadership. Being the chairman of the campaign committee is not a big deal. The High Command had entrusted me with a responsibility, which I have been doing faithfully.