THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Both ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups in the state Congress are learnt to have approached AICC president Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi alleging that general secretary Tariq Anwar who is in charge of Kerala has been taking a partisan attitude in organisational affairs.
The complaints alleged that Anwar had given a wrong picture of the affairs in the state to the central leadership, leading to a situation in which several deserving leaders were excluded from the list of DCC presidents.
The attempt by groups to escalate the issue internally through proper channel is an indication that the crisis triggered by the appointment of new DCC chiefs has started to fizzle out. On Wednesday, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan and KPCC president K Sudhakaran were closeted in a discussion for more than two hours in Kannur where they will attend the inauguration of new DCC office on Thursday. Both leaders finalised the procedure and schedule for the selection of state and district committees.
It is learnt that the central leadership has been alerted about senior leader Oommen Chandy’s claim the other day that he had given only names of his loyalists for the post of DCC chief to Sudhakaran. This has happened at a time when the two factions had joined their hands together against the state Congress leadership. Chandy’s admission has not only upset ‘I’ group leaders but reinforced the theory of the high command that he still gives priority to group rather than the party.
After two days of silence, Ramesh Chennithala said on Wednesday that he has apprised everything to the central leadership. Reacting to a question on whether a new group has emerged following his loyalists cozying up to the state leadership, Chennithala quipped, “Let’s see how things go”. “Let people analyse whether there has been two types of justice in the Congress”, said Chennithala. He was reacting to inaction against Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan for his retort against the group leaders urging them to form a new faction.
Chennithala has reasons to feel upset as senior Congress leader K Sivadasan Nair and former state general secretary (organisation) K P Anil Kumar were slapped with six months’ suspension for coming up against the state leadership in a live television debate.
Meanwhile, Tariq Anwar tried to play down the controversy. “Don’t worry. The issues in the state Congress will be resolved soon,” he told TNIE. On Wednesday, state Congress working president T Siddique, who too had come close to the incumbent leadership, called on Oommen Chandy. Even though Siddique maintained that they both share an “emotional” relation, it is perceived that damage control measures were initiated.
Escalation of issue
The attempt by groups to escalate the issue internally through proper channel is an indication that the crisis triggered by the appointment of new DCC chiefs has started to fizzle out