THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tremors in the state Congress triggered by the announcement of new district unit presidents were on the expected lines. Both Congress state president K Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheesan had foreseen the revolt by former chief minister Oommen Chandy and former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and apprised the Congress high command of the same.
Both leaders and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal had also advised the high command not to be perplexed by the protest of old warhorses as the Congress workers in the state, cutting across group affiliations, cherish to have a vibrant leadership in districts.
Sudhakaran’s decision to suspend senior leaders K Sivadasan Nair and K P Anilkumar within hours of them making critical comments demonstrated how prepared the new leadership had been to take on the revolt.
On Sunday, both Sudhakaran and Satheesan met reporters and explained about the inner-party discussion that had happened prior to the selection of DCC presidents. To the surprise of Congress workers, the leaders didn’t show diplomacy when criticism levelled by Chandy and Chennithala was brought to their attention. They minced no words and said what the senior leaders had done was unfair.
Sudhakaran even displayed his personal diary in front of reporters to prove that there had been prior consultation with Chandy on the names. Satheesan’s statement that they have taken up the office not to divide and distribute posts between ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups was blunter.
“Heartburns are natural as the new leadership is trying their best to break the culture of group loyalty followed by party workers. We are sure that the dust will settle soon as the new nominees are capable enough to lead the party on the right path. Once they start functioning, the dissidents themselves will rally behind them,” said a senior Congress leader.
The list of DCC presidents also attests to the new power axis of Satheesan, Sudhakaran and Venugopal, which has now emerged as the control centre of Congress affairs in Kerala. The leaders who had the blessings of AICC former president Rahul Gandhi have also roped in senior leaders like K Muraleedharan and P J Kurien to their fold. Many of the new presidents in districts have the support of local Congress leaders and the plan of Satheesan and Venugopal is to introduce the new presidents with the support of those leaders even if the prominent groups don’t extend their cooperation.
According to sources, the new leadership had taken a strong view and was of the view that there was no need to budge even an inch to accommodate the personal interests of Chandy and Chennithala. However, there was an intervention from Sonia Gandhi in the last moment and she didn’t favour humiliating the stalwarts. In Alappuzha, Chennithala’s nominee B Babu Prasad found favour because of this.
Though Chandy expressed displeasure over the list, five of the DCC presidents are his nominees. Both Chandy and Chennithala are also upset with the erosion of leaders and workers from their camps.
On Sunday, MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan welcomed the new list, contradicting his mentor Chandy’s stand. Several leaders of ‘I’ group including Chennithala’s former trusted lieutenant Sooranad Rajasekharan are now closer to VD-KS camp.
‘Organisational polls only solution to present crisis’
Pathanamthitta: A day after Congress leader and former DCC president K Sivadasan Nair was temporarily suspended for violating party discipline, the former MLA on Sunday said: “There had been no criteria in selecting DCC presidents and they were selected for their relationship with the party leaders. Conducting organisational polls is the only solution to the present crisis. The leaders tried to choose those close to them,” he said. Commenting on the new Pathanamthitta DCC president, Satheesh Kochuparambil, he said Satheesh is a qualified leader.