THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If there is no last-minute development, the list of new Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee office-bearers and members will be announced in New Delhi on Saturday. Sources told TNIE that the list will be publicised after the Congress Working Committee meeting. The list of 51 state committee members, which the state leadership claims to have submitted to the central leadership three days ago, is learnt to have undergone some changes after that.
A couple of names in the list were replaced, it is learnt. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi had a close look at the final list on Friday. The last-minute changes in the list saw an increase in the number of general secretaries. Instead of 15 general secretaries as planned first, the new committee will have 17 or 18. The number of vice-presidents was increased from three to five.
“One of the notable last-minute omissions is Ramani P Nair, former president of Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat. She was tipped to be a general secretary but considering complaints that she had worked against the Congress candidate in Vamanapuram, her name was omitted from the list,” said a source.
The private meeting between state president K Sudhakaran and Alappuzha strong man D Sugathan on Thursday led to speculation that the latter would be accommodated in the list as treasurer. But, sources who had access to the list told TNIE that Sugathan was not in the final list. “Former minister V S Sivakumar and former MLA K Sivadasan Nair are also not part of the list,” said a source.
The dissatisfaction among ‘A’ and ‘I’ group leaders grew stronger in the last phase as Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheesan didn’t consult Oommen Chandy or Ramesh Chennithala about the final list. “Chandy gave the leadership a panel of 10 nominees and Chennithala a panel of 12 nominees. Leaders from these panels are part of the committee,” said the source.
Even Chandy and Chennithala are clueless about who all from their lists have made it to the list. “Both leaders are upset over this and they will convey this to the high command as there was a specific instruction to take all leaders into confidence,” said a senior ‘A’ group leader.