THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The AICC leadership, which has invited the party’s leadership in Kerala to New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is expected to take a call on the prospects of the sitting MPs at the meeting.
Meanwhile, some MPs have expressed concerns over the delay by the state leadership in updating the voters’ list due to non-appointment of mandalam presidents.Following AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s invite to the state Congress leadership, a majority of members of the Political Affairs Committee are making a beeline for the national capital to attend the 3pm meeting.
Of the 15 Lok Sabha seats it has in its kitty, the party is facing uncertainty in Kannur, Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram. Sitting MPs in the rest are likely to contest from there again. While Kannur MP K Sudhakaran is unlikely to contest again, there is uncertainty on Wayanad seat which fell vacant after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as the MP on April 23. As for three-time Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, it is learnt he is yet to make up his mind on contesting. A source told TNIE that Tharoor is keenly awaiting an announcement on the Congress Working Committee and will take a call accordingly.
Meanwhile, a senior MP was highly critical of the state leadership over the delay in Congress’ organisational revamp which in turn delayed the updating of the voter list. Though it’s been more than two years, 25 months to be exact, since Sudhakaran assumed the Congress’ state president post, he could only appoint district chiefs and block presidents. “What’s the point in holding an election preparation meeting without ensuring the voters list is updated? It’s the mandalam presidents’ job. Initiating an organisational revamp at this juncture will only affect our prospects as a majority of mandalam presidents would no longer be in office,” the MP from Malabar said.
A revamp is pending to choose office-bearers in all 14 District Congress Committees, besides KPCC secretaries and mandalam presidents. Though Sudhakaran sounded umpteen ultimatums, nothing has happened. There are also apprehensions of non-cooperation from incumbent mandalam presidents for election preparation when they are replaced by a new team following the revamp.
The Road ahead