THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state Youth Congress election process has encountered a significant obstacle, with controversy emerging due to the mishandling of legal matters and the announcement of the Puthupally bypoll. The ‘I’ group is asserting that the state president, Shafi Parambil, and the ‘A’ group leader, along with the national leadership, have repeatedly failed to prevent court intervention. “We are confident about the results”, an I group Youth Congress leader told TNIE. “It is the ‘A’ group that is apprehensive. That’s why they had not shown any interest in countering the petition against the election process”, he said.
The membership campaign and election were initially halted due to the death of Oommen Chandy, followed by a period of mourning. After this, the process was further delayed due to the national executive meeting held in Bengaluru.
However, the leadership’s response was inadequate when the Kozhikode Munsif court issued notices to the national president, state president, and Kozhikode district president in response to a worker’s
petition.
The court subsequently halted the election process with an ex- parte verdict, forcing the leadership to later respond with a counter-application. Despite the court lifting the stay on August 10, the by-election has cast a shadow over the ongoing organisational election.
Meanwhile, the A group has chosen to await both the court’s decision and the national leadership’s stance, influenced by the upcoming by-election. This decision is motivated by their belief that their opponents can only raise claims until the votes are tallied, an ‘A’ group leader said.
“We will ascertain who holds the ground support. We have emerged victorious in the Youth Congress organisational election five times, even during periods of a unified ‘I’ group,” he added. The ongoing election has garnered heightened significance for both factions, as internal dynamics within the party and youth organisation have become more intricate.
This contest presents the greatest challenge in the history of the Congress party, surpassing even the impact of Oommen Chandy’s passing. The desertion of three prominent group leaders – Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in Kottayam, T Sidique in Kozhikode, and P J Kurien in Pathanamthitta – has posed a substantial challenge.
The shift in voting patterns across three districts could prove pivotal, despite the ‘A’ group’s belief that deserters’ votes won’t align with their arch-rivals. The ‘A’ group’s attention is also fixed on Chandy Oommen, with reports suggesting his followers are involved in the contest within three districts. Nevertheless, the A group relies on its organisational strength and dismisses the notion that inner-party conflicts have impacted the Youth Congress.
They counter the ‘I’ group’s claims in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, emphasising these districts’ weaker membership and minimal likelihood of ‘A’ group votes supporting the ‘I’ group. The primary contest
is between the ‘A’ group and Ramesh Chennithala’s ‘I’ group, a group leader said.
Notably, multiple other factions, including K Sudhakaran-V D Satheeshan and K C Venugopal groups, have also fielded candidates. Additionally, the ‘A’ group has a presence in 14 districts, while Ramesh’s group lacks representation in Kasaragod, a sizable district.
FOCUS FIXED ON CHANDY OOMMEN
The ‘A’ group’s attention is also fixed on Chandy Oommen, with reports suggesting his followers are involved in the contest within three districts. The A group relies on its organisational strength and dismisses the notion that inner-party conflicts have impacted the Youth Congress