THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: G Parameswara, the party election returning officer appointed by the Congress central leadership in Kerala, has called for the much-awaited general body meeting on Thursday. Since there is no election of the new state Congress president, K Sudhakaran will get one more term in office which will be announced officially by party president Sonia Gandhi later.
The state leadership had ruled out election so that there was no division among the leaders. Their central counterparts has endorsed this view to avoid factionalism gripping the rank and file of the party as in the past. On Thursday, a resolution will be taken up most probably by party state general secretary (organisation) T U Radhakrishnan or by one of the district chiefs calling for Sudhakaran’s nomination as the Congress state president. This will then be referred to Sonia Gandhi.
Thursday’s meeting will see a total of 348 members, comprising 280 state committee members, 28 AICC members, eight former state unit presidents, 16 Congress MPs and 14 parliamentary committee leaders who have voting rights among the 21 MLAs and two ex-officio members (KPCC president and Opposition leader), attending the general body. But Sudhakaran is yet to officially release the list of the general body members. With Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra taking a break on Thursday, Sudhakaran decided to convene the general body meeting hurriedly so that all stakeholders can attend it.
“Once the resolution is passed in favour of Sudhakaran on Thursday, he will become the caretaker president along with his office-bearers,” a Congress leader told TNIE. The election of the Congress national president will be held on October 17. Now, all eyes are on whether MP Shashi Tharoor would contest or not. With Tharoor yet to reveal his plan, the guessing game is still on. The last date for filing of nomination papers is September 30.
KS TO CONVENE QUICK MEET
With Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra taking a break on Thursday, Sudhakaran decided to convene the general body meeting hurriedly so that all stakeholders can attend it.