Amid speculation of a widening discord between Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, the Samaragni rally by the Congress on Monday completed its tour in Pathanamthitta district.
The two leaders attended a public interaction session organised at the Aban auditorium in Pathanamathitta. KPCC general secretary Pazhakulam Madhu presided over the event, also attended by Anto Antony, MP, and the District Congress Committee president Satheesh Kochuparambil.
During the event, the party leadership interacted with different sections of the community, including the aggrieved depositors of scam-hit Mylapra Service Cooperative Bank, a group of students from the Mount Zion College in Kadammanitta and leaders of the Chengara land struggle. Following the event, the rally proceeded to Kottarakara in Kollam district.
Meanwhile, the party’s decision not to hold a joint press conference by Mr. Sudhakaran and Mr. Satheesan triggered speculations about a growing rift between the two leaders. The cancellation of the press conference, ostensibly due to a delay in Mr. Satheesan’s arrival, marked a clear deviation from the established pattern of the two leaders addressing the press in every district right from the beginning of the rally.
During the Alappuzha leg of the rally, the KPCC president had allegedly used expletives while questioning Mr. Satheesan’s delayed arrival at the press conference. The issue, however, was soon resolved after the party high command intervened. Later, both leaders rubbished the media reports of rift.
“The issue appears to have been resolved for the sake of the party, which is facing a crucial election in a few weeks. Mr. Satheesan, however, appears dissatisfied over the episode and is reluctant to attend a joint press conference,’’ said a senior Congress leader.
The Alappuzha incident occurred only a few months after the two leaders engaged in an argument in front of TV cameras during a press conference in Kottayam, convened in the wake of the party’s massive win at Puthupally. The argument pertained to who would address the media first and despite the best attempts by Mr. Satheesan to convince him, Mr. Sudhakaran began the press conference on his own. A visibly upset Leadr of the Opposition parried the questions directed at him, stating that “the KPCC president had answered all your queries”.
