THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress high command has expressed strong displeasure over the ongoing infighting within the state unit, driven by loyalists of rival chief ministerial aspirants. Party sources said, the statement of AICC general secretary K C Venugopal appealing to loyalists to abstain from social media propaganda, is seen as a response from the national leadership
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is learnt to be preparing to intervene after the voting on the delimitation amendment bill in Parliament, with a firm admonition aimed at restoring discipline within the party ranks. “Since Venugopal is part of the debate, it is likely that Kharge or Rahul Gandhi may intervene,” said a senior leader.
Sources said the national leadership views the continuing factionalism, now involving even senior leaders, as damaging to the party’s image at a crucial juncture. The developments come at a time when the Congress is engaged in a political battle with the BJP-led government in Parliament that may determine the future course of national politics.
“It is astonishing to see how these Kerala politicians, who present themselves as among the most politically aware in the country, are merely parochial regional politicians pursuing personal interests,” an AICC general secretary, who was in Kerala during the election campaign, told TNIE.
There is also displeasure among senior leaders over the silence of the leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan in condemning the actions of his loyalists.
“It was one of his confidants, Ernakulam DCC president Mohammad Shiyas who started the whole debate in a highly inappropriate manner by stating that the next chief minister should be from the district. This triggered the propaganda war. Yet Satheesan did not condemn the actions even after both Ramesh Chennithala and K C Venugopal distanced themselves from the social media campaigns,” said a political affairs committee member.
Meanwhile, Kozhikode MP M K Raghavan’s statement that it was the state leadership which opposed issuing party tickets to certain MPs for the assembly election came as a setback for Satheesan, as it was he who had taken a strong stand.
During the Delhi discussions, KPCC president Sunny Joseph and three working presidents supported MPs such as Adoor Prakash, K Sudhakaran and M K Raghavan contesting seats where the party could not win. But Satheesan had conveyed to the leadership his readiness to step aside if the MPs were issued tickets, with complete support from Chennithala. “Now Satheesan camp is explaining that their leader took that position in order to prevent the entry of K C Venugopal in the election fray and he had nothing against these MPs. But we think he is late,” said a close associate of one of these MPs.