Kasaragod Congress chief wants party to rein in MP; Unnithan says no one can push him out of politics

Kasaragod: District Congress president PK Faisal has asked the party leadership to rein in MP Rajmohan Unnithan over his public criticism of Congress leaders. The move comes amid Unnithan's sustained, but largely behind-the-scenes, criticism of Faisal over alleged financial irregularities. But after Faisal raised the issue at a party meeting called by KPCC president Sunny Joseph, Unnithan did not attempt to soften his stance. Instead, he challenged those seeking to rein him in to come out in the open, brandished his seniority in the party and declared that no one could push him out of politics.

Responding to the reported criticism, Unnithan challenged those seeking to control him to come out in the open and said he was among the state's most senior leaders. He also made it clear that he would continue speaking publicly, describing his remarks as the expression of “unpleasant truths” that the party needed to hear.

To be sure, though Faisal is the District Congress Committee (DCC) President, Unnithan still calls the shots in the district Congress.

Of late, Unnithan has been raising allegations of financial irregularities against Faisal in conversations with Congress leaders visiting Kasaragod, party sources said. Faisal's term as DCC president is also nearing its end.

On Friday, the KPCC president held a meeting of Congress office-bearers to discuss the protests to be organised in Keralam against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

But at the meeting, Faisal turned the spotlight on Unnithan's public remarks against party leaders. The MP had recently criticised the Chief Minister and ministers, questioned the possibility of AP Anil Kumar becoming KPCC president and made remarks against UDF convenor Adoor Prakash.

Faisal reportedly told the meeting that if Unnithan continued making such statements in public, the district unit would also respond publicly.

The immediate backdrop to the confrontation was a meeting Faisal had convened two days earlier to mobilise party office-bearers, from the DCC and block levels upwards, for the proposed protest. A large number of office-bearers stayed away, allegedly following a call from Unnithan, a Congress source said. "The meeting bombed," he said.

The DCC's efforts also appeared to have suffered a setback at a programme held on Saturday to mark Jawaharlal Nehru's birth anniversary. The gathering was thin, with several leaders and workers believed to be aligned with Unnithan staying away.

But despite Unnithan's clout, his direct interactions with the public have dwindled since the Assembly election. Congress sources said the number of people visiting Unnithan's office and the number of district programmes he attends have declined considerably. "Hardly anyone visits his residence in Kanhangad now," said another Congress leader. The presence of Congress MLAs from Udma and Trikaripur has given people local representatives and offices to approach.

The UDF-backed candidate has also won in the CPM bastion of Payyannur. This is the first time the Congress has won in Payyannur and Trikaripur, and in Udma after a gap of 30 years. "Constituents now approach their MLAs for many of their needs instead of travelling to Kanhangad," a Congress source said.

Despite these changes, Unnithan continues to wield considerable influence in the district Congress, and no leader has emerged as a direct challenger to his authority, party sources said. State-level leaders are also reluctant to confront him, given his reputation for making outspoken public statements.

Unnithan's defiant response
Unnithan said he had no conflict with the DCC president and had always made his views public rather than expressing them behind closed doors. “I began my political journey in 1968 as the president of a unit committee,” he said, and added that he worked his way up the ranks. “I am one of the most senior leaders in Keralam. I will engage only at the level I belong to,” he said.

Asked whether his stated ambition to become KPCC president had contributed to the criticism against him, Unnithan said he had openly conveyed his wish to the party leadership. He said he had written to the Congress president and informed Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and the Chief Minister. “It is now for them to take a decision. Why should that cause any unease?” he said, adding that only those who aspired to the same post had reason to feel threatened.

He said he would continue making public statements until his death, describing them as “unpleasant truths” that the party needed to hear. “If there is no one in this party willing to speak uncomfortable truths, the party will not survive,” he said.