Senior Congress leader KP Anil Kumar joins CPM, says Sudhakaran hijacked party like Taliban
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major blow to opposition Congress, senior Congress leader KP Anil Kumar has quit the party and joined the ruling CPM.
Anil Kumar, a former KPCC general secretary (organisation) has quit the party in protest against the autocratic rule of the State Congress leadership.
Unleashing a tirade against the State Congress president K Sudhakaran, the disgruntled leader compared Sudhakaran with Taliban. He hijacked the Congress party in a similar manner in which Taliban conquered Afghanistan, alleged KP Anil Kumar.
In a dramatic move, Anil Kumar ended his 43-year-long association with the Congress and went to the AKG Centre where he was welcomed by CPM Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. A slew of senir CPM leaders inlcuding S Ramachandran Pillai, MA Baby and Anathalavattom Anandan joined to welcome Anil Kumar.
Anil Kumar is the first senior leader to join the Left camp within days of former State Congress secretary P S Prasanth leaving the Congress to join CPM. For the last few days, rumours were rife that 52-year-old Anil Kumar will leave the Congress. But he was not ready to confirm it.
The party had earlier served notice to him after he lambasted the State Congress leadership in a live television debate, just before the DCC presidents were appointed.
On Tuesday, Anil Kumar reached Thiruvananthapuram and announced his resignation from Congress, with which he was associated for long. Announcing the decision, he recalled how as a four-year-old lad holding the hands of his father Damodaran, he went to attend party functions. Anil Kumar said he's quitting due to backstabbing. He added that he's joining the CPM without any pre-conditions.
“At 8.10 am, I submitted my resignation before Congress president Sonia Gandhi and State president K Sudhakaran. The new KPCC leadership has been selective in its approach towards people. There's no more inner-party democracy in Congress. Even after giving explanation to the notice served by the party 11 days ago, there has not been any response from KPCC.
"I have decided to leave the Congress after giving my sweat and blood to the party for all these years. Just like how the Taliban seized Afghanistan, Sudhakaran's KS Brigade has hijacked the Congress," said Anil Kumar who had served as KPCC organisation general secretary under former KPCC chiefs VM Sudheeran and Mullapally Ramachandran. He had earlier unsuccessfully contested in two Assembly elections.
Even as Anil Kumar was announcing his decision to quit the party, at a press meet at Hotel Taj Vivanta, a communiqué from KPCC headquarters Indira Bhavan came out stating that Anil Kumar has been ousted from the party as his explanation has not been found satisfactory.
“How can the Congress oust me now when I had already sent my resignation? This is what I said - The Congress leadership didn't even bother to read the resignation letter," added Anil Kumar.
Anil Kumar was accompanied by PS Prasanth, whorecently joined the CPM.
Speaking after receiving Anil Kumar, Kodiyeri said those who join the party from Congress would be given deserving positions.
Congress chief Sudhakaran calls the move an act of 'despondency'
State Congress president K Sudhakaran has termed former leader KP Anil Kumar's resignation from the party an act of 'despondency'. Sudhakaran said the explanation given by Anil Kumar was not satisfactory.
He also informed that Anil Kumar has been expelled from the party. Anil Kumar had committed serious violation of party discipline, said Sudhakaran.
KP Anil Kumar had come down heavily on Sudhakaran and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan in a live television debate for being autocratic in choosing the new crop of District Congress chiefs. This had led the State Congress leadership to suspend Anil Kumar and another senior Congress leader K Sivadasan Nair from the party.
Since they were suspended from the party swiftly, senior leaders like Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala had come down heavily against the State Congress leadership. The explanation given by Sivadasan Nair and also by Rajmohan Unnithan in a different issue, were termed satisfactory by the leadership which helped them to evade further disciplinary action against them..