THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress state leadership on Wednesday apprised former party president Rahul Gandhi of the latest organisational crisis triggered by the resignation of senior leader V M Sudheeran from the political affairs committee and the All India Congress Committee.
The talks were held in Kozhikode in the evening after Rahul completed a whirlwind trip across his constituency, Wayanad. It is learnt that state chief K Sudhakaran also clarified his position on the controversy regarding his alleged connection with conman Monson Mavunkal. After the briefing, Rahul directed Sudhakaran and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan to complete the second stage of the organisational revamp by October 10.
The proposal to set up a semi-cadre organisation in Kerala also received his approval. Sudhakaran and Satheesan had accompanied Rahul during his programmes in Malappuram district, between which they managed to talk to him without the intervention of other leaders. Later in the evening, the trio met again in Kozhikode, where Rahul was camping.
“Though the state leadership has been given a free rein by the high command, they are still accountable for the developments here. So the leaders apprised Rahul about how the first stage of the organisational revamp, which saw the appointment of new district chiefs, had snowballed into a major controversy. That had led Sudheeran and Mullappally Ramachandran expressing their ire against the leadership for not having taken them into confidence,” a source said.
Rahul’s go-ahead for Congress duo
According to sources, Rahul’s approval for the second round of the organisational revamp is a clear signal for Sudhakaran and Satheesan to go ahead ignoring dissidents. On Thursday, the first unit committee of the Congress in the semi-cadre style will be formally inaugurated by Sudhakaran at Aattashery, Karimpuzha, in Palakkad at 9am.
Tariq Anwar, the national general secretary in charge of the state, will submit his report on the recent developments to the Congress High Command later this week. He was apprehensive of going for an organisational revamp at this stage when the state Congress is going through a lean phase. But the state leadership told him that it is better not to prolong the process.
Sudhakaran and Satheesan will leave for New Delhi on October 8 for deliberations to finalise the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s 51-member executive committee. Anwar said that Sudheeran’s resignation from the national committee is yet to be accepted. The senior leader’s resignation from the 21-member Political Affairs Committee too is yet to be accepted by Sudhakaran.
“I have been repeatedly saying that I have never sought a placement in either the state committee or the national committee. During the PAC meeting in June, I had apprised the state leadership that I won’t be recommending any name towards the party committee. But that doesn’t mean that the state leadership shouldn’t hold any discussions with me. I haven’t received any intimation from the central leadership that my resignation from the national committee has been rejected,” Sudheeran said.