Amid a Left wave that saw the LDF cruising into power in last year's Kerala Assembly elections, Mahesh lost the contest from Karunagappally to CPI's R. Ramachandran by a narrow margin of 1,759 votes. File photosKollam: Two days after asking Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to quit his position in a Facebook post, Kerala Youth Congress leader C.R. Mahesh left the party Tuesday and announced that he is quitting politics.
Addressing a press meet in Kollam, state Youth Congress vice-president Mahesh said, “For now, I have not decided to join any other parties. I am leaving politics. I will find some other job for my living.”
“I don't wish to remain in Congress with the stinking rot there. I have not made anything for myself from politics, never wished to do so. I will continue to work for the people,” Mahesh added.
The national leadership of the Youth Congress had suspended Mahesh from the party before the leader decided to quit.
The move by Mahesh, a popular Youth Congress leader in Kollam district, is a setback to the party. Amid a Left wave that saw the LDF cruising into power in last year's Kerala Assembly elections, Mahesh lost the contest from Karunagappally to CPI's R. Ramachandran by a narrow margin of 1,759 votes.
Mahesh, in a Facebook post on March 20, wrote: "Rahul should quit if he has no interest to lead the party from the front.”
"You should open your eyes and see that the roots of the political party, that had spread its wings across the country, is now being uprooted," he had said.
He said Congress working committee member A.K. Antony, who grew as a national leader with the support of Kerala Students Union, was continuing as a 'mouni baba' (silent sage ) in New Delhi.
Referring to the recent resignation of KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran from the post, Mahesh said KPCC has remained leaderless for the past two weeks at a time when people's campaign has to be made against the failure of CPM-led LDF government in the state.
Mahesh also said Congress at the national and state level was facing 'crisis', but the leadership remained as mute spectators.
The Congress leadership is yet to announce someone as the new KPCC chief. The party says a decision will be made once national president Sonia Gandhi returns from abroad.
