THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After several additions and deletions, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee was reconstituted with 56 office bearers on Thursday. The target of a 51-member committee set by president K Sudhakaran had to be compromised at the last minute to accommodate leaders to satisfy permutations of caste and region.
The list approved by Congress president Sonia Gandhi was released by general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal in New Delhi. Within minutes of the announcement, Sudhakaran said no Congress worker will challenge the list if he/she considers the party above anything else.
The state committee has 28 members comprising four vice-presidents, a treasurer and 23 general secretaries. The remaining 23 leaders come under the state executive committee. The list of new office-bearers underlines the clear dominance of K C Venugopal in the party as at least a dozen leaders owing allegiance to him have found a berth.
Many of those leaders are in good terms with Sudhakaran and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan as well. The ‘A’ group led by Oommen Chandy also got adequate representation. The loser in the revamp seems to be former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala as many of the names suggested by him failed to find a place in the list. Chennithala, who was in Delhi earlier this week, expressed his strong displeasure to the central leadership and even questioned the rationale for a new committee as Congress has already announced organisational polls.
Palakkad Congress strongman A V Gopinath has not been included in the list. Sources said though Sudhakaran had tried to include him in the list, others did not agree as Gopinath challenged the district chief appointment and threatened to leave the party. Sudhakaran told reporters in Kannur that the list was finalised after holding consultations with all stakeholders.
“Senior leaders don’t have to hit the streets after seeing the state committee list. There will be certain leaders who will be unhappy with the outcome. More women will be given the position of state secretary. Gopinath will continue to work with Congress,” said Sudhakaran. The four new vice-presidents are N Sakthan, V T Balram, V J Paulose and V P Sajeendran. Prathapa Chandran is the treasurer.
Despite Sonia’s fiat, women representation minimal
Despit e Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s directive, representation of women is minimal in the new state committee. Three leaders — Deepthi Mary Varghese, Alippatta Jameela and K A Thulasi — are among the 23 general secretaries while there are no women among vice-presidents or working presidents. Vice-president V P Sajeendran, Thulasi and executive committee member P R Sona are the scheduled tribe faces in the list.
Dalit Congress president K K Shaju said the representation was only marginal. Other general secretaries: A A Shukoor, Prathapa Varma Thampan, S Ashokan, Mariapuram Sreekumar, K K Abraham, Sony Sebastian, K Jayanth, P M Niyas, Aryadan Shoukath, C Chandran, T U Radhakrishnan, Abdul Muthalib , Josy Sebastian, P A Salim, Pazhakulam Madhu, M J Job, K P Sreekumar, M M Nazeer, G S Babu, and G Subhodhan.
The 28-member executive committee has two woman leaders — Padmaja Venugopal and Sona. Prominent among the executive committee members are V S Sivakumar, Varkala Kahar, Jyothikumar Chamakkala and Jaison Joseph. All former state presidents and all CWC members from Kerala are permanent invitees to executive. MPs, MLAs, members of political affairs committee, AICC secretaries from Kerala and outgoing DCC presidents will be special invitees.
WHO’S WHO
V T Balram
A prominent young leader, Balram has been made a vice-president
Padmaja Venugopal
The senior leader ended up becoming an excom member
V S Sivakumar
Sivakumar has been accommodated as an excom member
V P Sajeendran
The leader from Ernakulam has been handed the vice-president post
State chief K Sudhakaran says no Congress worker will challenge the list if he/she considers the party above anything else
The state committee has 28 members comprising four vice-presidents, a treasurer and 23 general secretaries
The remaining 23 leaders come under state excom
Palakkad Congress strongman A V Gopinath not included in the list
