Kochi: Opposition leader VD Satheesan made light of the resignations by a couple of experienced leaders from his Congress party soon after the appointment of new district chiefs last month.
"The Congress party is bigger than any individual. It will not be affected by anyone's exit," remarked Satheesan, the Paravur legislator, after learning that a few of its senior leaders had left the party and joined the rival CPM.
Anil Kumar, a former KPCC general secretary, and current general secretary G Rathikumar split from Congress and joined the Left party on Wednesday.
"Even if I leave, someone smarter than me will take my place. Nothing has happened to the party even after veteran leader K Karunakaran's exit," Satheesan said.
Leaders changing party is nothing new in Kerala, Satheesan observed.
"It is natural for the CPM to accept those who have left the Congress. Those who left CPM have also been welcomed here," he said.
"However, if someone labels the Congress leadership as mere lackeys then that cannot be tolerated.
"Even the CPM had taken action against its own leaders after failing to perform in the recent elections. Can it be blamed? That is what has happened now," Satheesan said.
Anil Kumar, a former KPCC general secretary, had reacted rashly after the State leadership asked him for an explanation over his outbursts against senior leaders.
Late last month AV Gopinath, another KPCC office-bearer, had announced his departure from the party, upset over the appointment of another leader as the head of the Palakkad District Congress Committee.
KPCC President K Sudhakaran and Satheesan are now at the forefront of overhauling the party demoralised by its reverses in the 2020 local body polls and the recent assembly polls.
Though not all of their proposals were readily accepted, the duo has convinced many that, after the recent Assembly election debacle, such changes are necessary for the party to rebound.
It was on Tuesday that Anil Kumar called a press conference in the state capital to announce his resignation from the Congress, ending an association of 43 years.
Later he went to the CPM state party headquarters where he was received by three politburo members and others.
Today, he was given a rousing welcome on Wednesday by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leaders at the Kozhikode railway station and at the CPM Kozhikode district committee office also.
Kozhikode is Anil Kumar's hometown.
Responding to the allegations levelled by State Congress president K Sudhakaran and senior Congress Lok Sabha member K Muraleedharan, Kumar said both of them have no reason to point fingers at him.
"No one will forget the way Sudhakaran behaved when Indira Gandhi's ashes were brought to be immersed at Kannur and all know what Muraleedharan said about Sonia Gandhi and late Ahmed Patel. Hence they have no right to criticise me, whereas I have all along maintained decency and decorum," said Kumar.
Kumar was a general secretary of the state Congress party under four state president's and he was the outgoing organisational general secretary till Sudhakaran was appointed as the new president, recently.
"The bane of the Congress party today is its leadership which includes AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan. More leaders from the Congress party are expected to leave the party soon," added Kumar.
In the coming days with the various committees of the CPM holding meetings ahead of the upcoming state party conference to be held at Ernakulam in February next year, Kumar is expected to be formally inducted into the CPM.
According to sources, Kumar, who had a clean track record in the Congress party, is expected to be given a good post in an official capacity in some leading government organisation.
