Thiruvananthapuram: Still smarting from the rout in the recently held assembly elections, Congress leaders in Kerala were given six months by veteran leader A.K. Antony to reinvent the party and revive its sagging fortunes. He said the leaders at all levels should be prepared to hit the streets and even go to jail if they were to mobilize the people.
The Congress should brace itself for serious challenge from the BJP, Antony said, winding down a review camp by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. He warned against any alliance with any of the outfits from the Sangh Parivar.
The Congress state leadership came under heavy fire at the two-day camp over the weekend. Antony, meanwhile, dismissed any indirect reference to the Congress high command, touching upon the Nehru family's contributions towards furthering the secular credentials of the country.
The Congress was hoping for another term in Kerala until the last minute, Antony said. Such a performance would have energized the secular forces at the national level, he added.
He called upon party leaders to strengthen the party rather than getting disappointed. Even Indira Gandhi have had setbacks in elections, he said.
The Congress was overconfident after the byelection victory in Aruvikkara, Antony said. While internal criticism was necessary, it was imperative that the party leaders worked in tandem, he added.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the party was seen as withdrawing from electioneering in many constituencies, leaving the candidates to fight for their survival. Congress workers were not to be seen around, he rued.
Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said the party had a tough mission ahead. The CPM and the BJP approached the elections professionally while the Congress lagged behind, the former home minister said.
Congress state president V.M. Sudheeran, who came under a barrage of criticism for his handling of certain issues, said the party suffered because of factionalism. He did not respond to the allegations against him. He said the criticism was natural and the party would go forward as a united entity.
The party will have to be restructured right from the booth level to the KPCC, he said. The party will spring back after the necessary corrections, he said.
A KPCC subcommittee was formed to draw guidelines to strengthen the party. Congress state vice president V.D. Satheesan will head the panel. Palode Ravi, Johnson Abraham, P.M. Suresh Babu, Mannar Abdul Latheef and Bindu Krishna will be part of it.
Sudheeran added that four zonal committees will look into the factors that contributed to the party’s defeat in the election. These panels will go through the complaints raised by the party candidates and submit their reports within three weeks.
