Unfazed by the pressure tactics of the ‘A’ and ‘I’ factions in the Congress, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran has asserted that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has given him the mandate to go ahead with the ongoing party reorganisation in the State.
“The AICC has not ordered a halt to revamping the party structure. It has only asked me to settle issues amicably with those having complaints. The complete list of office-bearers will hopefully be released on Friday, “ Mr. Sudhakaran said.
The development comes after the hostile factional leaders owing allegiance to former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala joining hands to curb his authoritative style of functioning and objecting to the tentative list of office-bearers of the District Congress Committees (DCC) and block committee presidents.
Incidentally, Mr. Sudhakaran had conveyed to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary in charge of Kerala Tariq Anwar that he would step down from the post if he was not given the freedom to restructure the party and if the central leadership still encouraged factionalism in the State.
At least three MPs, including Benny Behanan and T.N. Prathapan, had raised allegations that they were sidelined by the KPCC leaders in the much-delayed revamp of the party.
Mr. Sudhakaran has been able to convince the AICC leadership that his non- conformist approach had succeeded earlier as evident from the composition of a leaner KPCC structure and the appointment of new DCC presidents.
“Both the factions have initially wanted to hold internal elections. But later they pledged to fall in line with the efforts of the State leadership to reorganise the party,” Mr. Sudhakaran said.
On the purported differences of opinion with Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on the revamp, Mr. Sudhakaran rubbished the allegations and blamed the media for blowing things out of proportion.
“ Those leaders who held a meeting at the official residence of Mr. Satheesan had in fact met me at the KPCC office. No mistrust exists between us, “ Mr. Sudhakaran claimed, and added that both the leaders quite often met in connection with the reorganisation of the party.
He said AICC organisational general secretary K.C. Venugopal had cooperated all along since he took over as KPCC president to overhaul the party apparatus in the State. “ For the Congress party, these are normal issues. And some decisions may be delayed, “ Mr. Sudhakaran said.
Media reports on the reorganisation of the party are baseless, Mr. Satheesan said in Kannur on Thursday.
“There will be no groups in Kerala and there will be no group in the name of the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala. If there is need for me to be part of any group, then I will not be in any position associated with the party,” he said.
Mr. Satheesan said he was being personally insulted by a group through the media and social media. “All the news are coming from the same source. Thus is just a ploy to deliberately destroy the peaceful atmosphere in the Congress,” he said.
Though some leaders had complained about party reorganisation, he took steps to resolve the issue by holding discussions with everyone, he said.
The reports on party reorganisation were mere speculation. Congress had intra-party democracy. There was no dictatorship. The Leader of the Opposition and the KPCC president would fulfill the responsibility entrusted to them by the national leadership without any conflict or division, Mr. Satheesan said.
