Struggling to overcome a series of electoral setbacks, the Congress in Kerala seems to have set its eyes on the perceived 'identity crisis' within the ruling CM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) to chart out a recovery course.
With less than two years into the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is desperate to expand its alliance base and all welcome to the dissidents from the rival front.
The party made its stand clear as the two-day brainstorming session – Nav Sankalp Chinthan Shivir – culminated in Kozhikode on Sunday.
The Congress heads the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala.
“The second term for the LDF has resulted in an all-out destruction of the state. The UDF has to strengthen and expand its people's base to save the state from this situation.
There are organisations committed to the Left ideology which can't stay for long within the ruling front which follows extreme right-wing policies.
There are political parties which are against the lone agenda of remaining in power even at the cost of their identity. They will have to come out of the Left front.
The UDF will welcome them,” KPCC president K Sudhakaran said at his concluding remarks at the session.
The Congress' decision comes in the backdrop of media reports that the CPI, the second largest ally in the LDF, has come out strongly against the CPM saying there was a deliberate attempt to brand the LDF government as Pinarayi Vijayan government.
It was reported that delegates attending the CPI's Thiruvananthapuram district committee meeting had said that a Chief Minister travelling in a cavalcade of more than 40 vehicles was unheard of in the history of Kerala.
The delegates had also reportedly criticised the government for its aggressive push for the K-Rail SilverLine project which they said antagonised the people.
Apart from the CPI, four Kerala Congress factions, including the strongest Mani wing, NCP, Janata Dal (Secular) and Rashtriya Janata Dal are among the LDF constituents.
The Kerala Congress (Mani) faction joined the LDF ahead of the assembly polls after it was ousted from the UDF in what many believe to be a political blunder.
The Congress brainstorming session also discussed the need to bring back parties that left the UDF earlier.
Reorganisations as per AICC schedule
Sudhakaran also said that the reorganisation of the party committees in all levels will be completed as per the schedule prepared by the AICC.
The Congress will form panels in the model of the state-level Political Affairs Committees at the district and mandalam levels.
Training departments will be set up at the KPCC and DCCs with the aim of imparting political education to party members. Internal Complaints Committees will be formed at the state and district levels, Sudhakaran said.
He said the party will transform itself in a manner that appeals to the new generation.
