Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph on Friday made light of the controversy over the alleged rift among the party leadership over the Nilambur bypoll victory, stating there was no dispute over the credit for the win.

“There isn’t any dispute over credit. The credit for the victory goes to Team UDF as well as the ordinary workers of the alliance. Today’s meeting has put it on record,” Sunny said as he briefed the media about the decisions taken by the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Questions over the ‘credit for the bypoll win’ were triggered after senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala allegedly expressed his displeasure over Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan getting praises from different corners for playing a key role in the UDF victory in Nilambur.

When asked about media calling Satheesan the captain of UDF, Chennithala told a TV channel that when the UDF won bypolls under his leadership, nobody cared to call him the captain. He termed the approach a double standard. When the criticism was pointed out, Satheesan said that if he were the captain, then Chennithala was a major. The opposition leader has repeatedly credited the byelection result to Team UDF.

When media persons pointed out the controversy and asked what his role was, the KPCC chief retorted playfully in his style: “I’m a soldier”.

The PAC meet had assumed significance as it came amid the controversy, which took the sheen off the UDF’s impressive show in Nilambur. Congress leaders Mathew Kuzhalnadan MLA and Rajmohan Unnithan MP had come out in the open against the leadership, causing an unwanted row.

While Kuzhalnadan has urged the leadership to behave maturely, Unnithan was evidently critical of Chennithala. The Kasaragod MP told a TV channel that the credit and responsibility over electoral performances naturally go to the opposition leader and PCC chief every time, and here was nothing new in it.

‘UDF’s popular base will be expanded’
On the reports of UDF trying to attract more parties, including dissenters in LDF, to its fold, Sunny Joseph said that the alliance will keep expanding its popular base. He denied holding discussions with any party at this point. He reiterated that inducting former Nilambur MLA P V Anvar to the UDF was a closed chapter.

The Nilambur bypoll was caused by Anvar’s resignation as MLA following a fallout with the LDF. Though he tried to join the UDF, the opposition alliance decided to keep him away since he was not ready to accept the UDF’s choice of Aryadan Shoukath as its candidate. Anvar went on to contest the bypoll as an independent and came third with nearly 20,000 votes behind the winner, Shoukath, and LDF’s M Swaraj.