THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress state leadership is mum on taking back the three ousted leaders from the party citing disciplinary action against them.
While Pathanamthitta former district chief Babu George and former Pathanamthitta district panchayat president Saji P Chacko have given an apology in writing expressing their 'regret', Oommen Chandy loyalist in Thiruvananthapuram MA Latheef has not bothered to do it which has antagonized the party leadership further.
Senior 'A' group Congress leaders KC Joseph and Benny Behanan have given a letter to the Congress state leadership demanding to bring back the ousted leaders to the party. This assumes significance when the general elections are due early next year.
It is reliably learned that the 'A' group leaders have urged the party leadership that those leaders who were slapped with disciplinary action should be brought back. The prominent leaders include Pathanamthitta former district chief Babu George, former district panchayat president Saji P Chacko and Oommen Chand loyalist in Thiruvananthapuram MA Latheef.
Babu George was suspended from the party for allegedly misbehaving and attempting to kick open a closed door when a meeting was ongoing at the Pathanamthitta DCC office. This incident happened during February this year.
In the case of Saji P Chacko, he was stripped off from the preliminary membership of the party following several complaints the leadership received on him during the course of the Mallappally Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank election. He had allegedly urged one of the leaders endorsed by the Pathanamthitta DCC to withdraw his nomination which caused the wrath of the party.
Former Congress state secretary Latheef too was expelled from the party allegedly for dissident activities during October 2021. He had allegedly continued his dissident activities despite the warning from the party which saw him even coming up against Opposition Leader VD Satheesan's Muthalapozhi visit. Latheef had also tried to organize a protest march to Indira Bhavan against the party office bearers list.
Both Joseph and Benny Behanan have been demanding this for quite some time before the party leadership. Unfortunately, Congress state president K Sudhakaran and his team have not been showing any leniency to them. But this time the 'A' group leadership has exuded hope that these three leaders will be brought back with the Parliament elections just round the corner.
