The re-appointment of V.J. Poulose as the Ernakulam District Congress Committee president turned out to be a smooth affair for the Congress leadership even as the exercise ended up in a crisis in the neighbouring Thrissur district and elsewhere.
The accomodate-all attitude displayed by Mr. Poulose in the organizational matters made him acceptable to the other factions in the district unit of the party and ensured him one more term as the district chief.
The seamless efforts put in to construct a new office complex for the party at the heart of the city won him appreciation even from the rival factions. According to an A group leader, the successful setting up of the Congress office complex gave him an edge in the organizational election and many leaders in the rival factions shared a sentiment that he should be allowed to continue in the post for one more term. Though the A faction had propelled a few names to the top post, this sentiment worked in his favour, he observed.
VJP, as he is fondly known in the party circles, is a man of the masses. He was one leader who had grassroots-level connections in all parts of the district, said a KPCC office bearer in the district.
“I too have group affiliation. Yet, I don’t allow it to influence my decisions in organisational affairs,” says Mr. Poulose when asked about his style of functioning.
“It’s the merit and not the group affiliations that counts when a decision on an organizational issue is taken. I have always tried to accommodate the different voices and views in the party while dealing with organizational matters. That approach might have made me acceptable,” he said.
“VJP would be slow in taking decisions. But once he arrives at a decision, it would be a perfect one, which would stand the test of time,” when asked to describe the style of functioning of the DCC president, a senior Congress leader in the district said.
Mr. Poulose too agrees to the observation of his party colleague. “When we emotionally approach an issue and take a decision, there are chances of it going wrong. I personally take time to decide on an issue and discuss it with all those concerned in the process. Such an approach has helped me in avoiding wrong decisions, if not taking great decisions,” he said.
Mr. Poulose, who came up through the ranks, had represented the Kothamangalam Assembly constituency for consecutive 15 years.
He first took over the reigns of the party as the DCC president in 1997 when the district chief K.V. Thomas relinquished the post following a political scandal. That time, he served as the district chief for two years. Later, he got a full term as the DCC president in 2007.
