THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of youth leaders in the Congress party which have emerged from the shadows of the 'A' group has started garnering support from like minded leaders from all the districts.
This has happened as the senior ‘A’ group leaders have not been taking the youth leaders into confidence where they are keen to see that the faction former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy painstakingly maintained does not go astray.
When the ‘A’ group leaders decided to endorse Rahul Mamkoottathil as the Youth Congress state president candidate, they had apparently not taken an ailing Oommen Chandy into confidence.
This had hurt him badly as he was keen on projecting either former KSU president KM Abhijith or YC national coordinator J S Akhil as ‘A’ group nominee towards YC. Oommen Chandy was again not consulted when the YC district president candidates were being finalized.
This was the last straw for his son Chandy Oommen who decided to field his own set of candidates in the YC election. A YC leader told TNIE that Chandy Oommen may not have power akin to Oommen Chandy, but he is eager to ensure that the ‘A’ group does not lose its power.
“Chandy Oommen has been eager to make certain what his father had been religiously practicing over the last 53 years, to listen to the woes of the people and provide solutions. Out of 160 office bearers in the YC, Chandy Oommen’s 26 nominees emerged victorious. He has also assigned district level leaders to coordinate the programmes as well as charity work to be initiated in the Congress party”, said a YC leader.
In this tryst to bring back the old charm of ‘A’ group, Chandy Oommen has got the support of Kalpetta MLA and KPCC working president T Siddique, Malappuram DCC president VS Joy, KPCC digital media cell convener Dr P Sarin, former Youth Congress vice president NS Nusoor and former YC Kottayam district president Chintu Kurian Joy, son of former Kottayam DCC president Kurian Joy.
These youth leaders have got the blessings of warring senior Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in Kottayam. The senior 'A' group leaders comprising UDF convener MM Hassan, senior Congress leader KC Joseph and Benny Behanan MP are allegedly peeved with Thiruvanchoor for taking undue advantage of the situation now.
Prior to taking charge as YC office bearers at a function held at Kochi on Friday, Chandy Oommen’s 26 nominees sought the blessings of Oommen Chandy by visiting his cemetery.