A split is once again staring in the face of the Indian National League (INL) in the wake of its national leadership dissolving the State unit.
The decision of the national leadership to constitute an ad hoc committee with Minister Ahammad Devarkovil and B. Hamsa Haji as chairman and convener respectively has antagonised the faction led by A.P. Abdul Wahab, State president of the dissolved committee, which held a meeting on Monday. “The decision to dissolve the State secretariat, State working committee and the State council is undemocratic and goes against the constitution of the party, “ Mr. Wahab told The Hindu on Monday.
Prejudiced
He said that the ad hoc committee was highly prejudiced against his faction even though his name was included in it. “We have decided to call the State council within 10 days to decide our future course of action,” Mr. Wahab said, adding that an earlier consensus reached between the factions via mediators, including Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, was disregarded in a reckless manner. Even the newly formed 10-member conciliation committee to settle disputes was never convened, he said.
Tenure expired
The INL national executive meeting held online on Sunday decided to dissolve the State bodies citing “the constitutional breakdown of the machinery of the party in Kerala.” Party national president Mohammed Suleman chaired the meeting. Briefing the development through a press release, INL national general secretary Mozammil Hussain said that the tenure of the existing State committee had expired on March 2021 and more than 10 months had elapsed without a democratic election. The ad hoc committee would coordinate, implement and oversee the membership campaign and conduct the election to the State Council and working committee, it was decided.
Meanwhile the ad hoc committee has decided to meet in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
Infighting
Infighting between the factions led by Mr. Wahab and State general secretary Kasim Irikkoor has been going on for quite some time. This had prompted the national leaders to ask the State leadership twice, in November and December, to convene the State working committee. Towards the fag end of last month, it served a show cause notice on Mr. Wahab and Mr. Irikkoor for the failure to do so and also warned them that an alternative mechanism for the State unit would be set in motion. Both leaders had also replied to the notices.
Supporters of the two factions came to blows at a State meeting in Kochi in July. The INL, a constituent of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front, was given a berth for the first time in the Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry.
