Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leaders M M Hassan, K C Joseph, and Benny Behanan visited former Chief Minister and senior congress leader Oommen Chandy and informed him of the A group’s discontentment over the recent appointment of the party block presidents. The three leaders visited the senior leader who is undergoing treatment in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The dominant feeling in the A group is that the party leadership is neglecting it.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K Sudhakaran, and opposition leader V D Satheesan are flouting the understanding that all should be taken into confidence in the organisational matters of the party. It does not augur well for the party if the two leaders are giving priority to securing their positions, observed the A group leaders.
Though there was a demand that the Congress High Command should intervene in the issue, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Tariq Anwar dismissed it justifying the party leadership in Kerala. The three leaders reached Bengaluru to seek Oommen Chandy’s advice on how to handle such issues.
It is learnt that Oommen Chandy agreed with the opinion of the three leaders to join hands with the I group which too harbours similar feelings with the leadership. Former KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, who met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the problems in the Maharashtra Congress, informed him that a serious situation had arisen in the party in Kerala. Leaders of both groups have reached an agreement to hold talks in the coming days.
The leaders also sought Oommen Chandy's attention to the controversy over choosing the A group’s nominee for the post of Youth Congress president.
The present Youth Congress president, Shafi Parambil, is arguing vociferously in favour of Rahul Mankoottathil of the same group. Although Rahul belongs to the A group, he maintains good relations with the VD Satheesan.
There are differences of opinion in the A group over a person close to Satheesan being nominated for the Youth Congress elections as the group raised complaints against Satheesan over the party’s reorganisation. They opined that either J S Akhil or K M Abhijith should be nominated.
