THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though the Congress high command is yet to take a call on restructuring the state organisation, there are strong hints that along with a new party president the AICC would push for a new UDF convener.
Sources said the final decision would be taken in the coming weeks. As UDF partners and well-wishers of the Congress are upset with the commotion and confusion created by senior leaders vying for positions, the high command understands that a better decision-making process would make way for better results.
According to party insiders, the high command is now more or less on the same page with Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and other front partners over the change of party captain. “Only a small group that wants K Sudhakaran to continue for their own selfish interests now stands in the way of the smooth transition of power,” a senior leader said. “Though Sudhakaran has been telling the media that he is ready to vacate the post, he is still not ready to do so. And the high command has not been able to force him out,” he said.
Now, talk is of both a new KPCC president and a new UDF convener. Though the meeting called by the high command on February 28 in Delhi is not likely to take up the leadership issue, leaders who are bound to stake their claim have been meeting national leaders. “The meeting is to discuss preparations for the local-body and assembly polls. There would be over 20 leaders. Hence a discussion on organisational restructuring is out of the question,” he said.
After the one-to-one meeting between Shashi Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi, Attingal MP Adoor Prakash also met Rahul. It is learnt that Prakash discussed his claim for the top state post, if Sudhakaran is replaced. However, there are other strong contenders, including Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph and former UDF convener Benny Behanan. Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha and eight-time MP Kodikunnil Suresh’s name has also doing the rounds.
Sudhakaran is the third KPCC president from the Ezhava community. “If the KPCC president is to be from Ezhava community, then the UDF convener post would go to Christian community, or vice versa,” a veteran Congress leader said.