NEW DELHI/T’PURAM: Worried over the deepening factional feud within the Congress in Kerala, the party’s central leadership has bluntly told the state leaders to mend their ways and project a united front before the people ahead of the crucial local body and assembly elections.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi held closed-door one-on-one meetings with state leaders, sources said. Incidentally, AICC general secretary (organization) K C Venugopal and general secretary in-charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi did not attend the meetings, they said.
A leader told TNIE that he has conveyed to the leadership that the open fights between top leaders are impacting the prospects of the party in the upcoming elections. Another leader said he discussed the disquiet in the party over the recent Youth Congress rejig.
State party chief Sunny Joseph, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Kannur MP K Sudhakaran were among the leaders who were present.
Sudhakaran told reporters after the meeting that a section of leaders is responsible for spoiling the atmosphere of unity in the party. When asked about Sudhakaran’s remarks, Kharge responded that “everything can’t be discussed with the media.”
Satheesan reportedly informed the leadership of his resentment in the delay in publishing the new list of KPCC secretaries. UDF convenor Adoor Prakash expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of consultation when the KPCC general secretary list was prepared.
According to sources, the leadership is increasingly concerned over the divide within the state unit and conveyed that it could have serious consequences for the party’s poll prospects.
However, Kharge told reporters that there was no factionalism in Kerala and the party will return to power in the state.
“We are holding discussions with all leaders. Later, we will meet younger leaders. After collecting the feedback, we will process it and see what is to be done,” he said.
Dasmunshi said there are many points to be noted and discussed for the upcoming elections. “I am happy that the high command has taken every small issue into consideration. It shows that they are so serious about Kerala,” she said.
“There is no factionalism in the Congress in Kerala. It’s all created by the media, the LDF and the BJP. All are unitedly standing for the Congress,” she added.
