KOTTAYAM: As crucial elections are fast approaching in Kerala, the Congress is trying hard to bring back veteran A K Antony, who has quit active politics, into the party’s collective leadership in the state.
On the directive of the high command, which had intervened to quell the internal discord within the party in Kerala, the Congress state leadership will constitute a 11-member empowered committee to lead it ahead of the local body elections later this year and the assembly elections next year.
According to sources, the state leadership is trying to convince Antony to be a part of the empowered committee, which will consist of Congress Working Committee members from the state, former KPCC presidents, current KPCC president and the Leader of Opposition.
Sources said the probable members of the core team include Congress Working Committee members Antony, K C Venugopal, Shashi Tharoor, Ramesh Chennithala, party state president K Sudhakaran, working president Kodikkunnil Suresh, former presidents V M Sudheeran, Mullappally Ramachandran, M M Hasan, K Muraleedharan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.
The leadership is confident that Antony will be part of the committee. Antony, 84, a three-time union minister and chief minister, announced retirement from electoral politics when he returned to Kerala after his
Rajya Sabha term ended in April 2022. The veteran leader has been keeping low profile in state politics since, though he did campaign in select constituencies during the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The decision to form the empowered committee follows Rahul Gandhi’s strict directive to end the feud within the party.
The proposal for an empowered committee assumes significance as KPCC’s political affairs committee to guide organisational strategy and execution within the state seldom meets.
‘Move will undoubtedly propel party forward’
Moreover, the committee was reconstituted last year, its strength increased from 21 to 36 members, making it a jumbo panel. It is in such a scenario that an empowered committee is going to be constituted.
The 11-member body will take all the decisions related to the party going forward. Party sources welcomed the move saying it will prevent a particular leader from taking decisions unilaterally.
“The move will undoubtedly propel the party forward, as it will ensure a strong leadership, guaranteeing that there aren’t any unilateral decisions or any particular leader having undue influence,” said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
Sources said the high command had taken a decision in this regard in a bid to resolve internal conflicts in the state unit – the AICC leadership considers Kerala a key state for the party. The collective leadership formula was presented before the state leaders during their meeting with the high command earlier this month.
At the meeting, the national leadership strictly asked the leaders to work together with coordination, discipline and unity in view of upcoming elections. Rahul had also cautioned the leaders “not to go against the party line.”
After the meeting, Satheesan had hinted that the party would face the elections under a collective leadership. Senior leaders too are pleased with the latest decision of collective leadership as they will get due consideration in the party’s decision-making process.
The move is also expected to calm calls for a change of guard at the state unit’s helm at least for the time being. The national leadership too had ruled out a leadership change in the state unit at the meeting.