The Congress leadership has virtually set the pace for conducting its organisational elections in the State by convening its political affairs committee (PAC) meeting on May 16, followed by a broad-based meeting of leaders the next day.
The meeting is being held a day after the party’s membership drive concludes on May 15. Both the meetings will be attended by All India Congress Committee general secretary Mukul Wasnik, who is in charge of Kerala. Pradesh returning officer Sudharshan Nachiappan will attend the second meeting on May 17.
2.5 lakh membership books
The PAC will discuss the modalities of organisational elections, which include district-level review of the preparations for the elections. The party had distributed 2.5 lakh membership books comprising 25 leaves, each with a membership fee of ₹5. Party workers were expected to make house-to-house visits to enrol members, with top leaders giving the lead in their respective booths.
Congress Working Committee member A.K. Antony launched the Statewide membership drive on April 30. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala will participate in a similar programme at a booth in Haripad on Saturday and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will do likewise at Puthuppally on Sunday. Expatriate Malayalis can enrol as a member online at http://www.kpcc.org.in/membership . They will have to remit ₹100 to the KPCC election fund, comprising ₹5 as membership fee and ₹95 as workers’ fund. According to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee sources, the membership drive has been going on smoothly so far.
The returning officer and assistant returning officers will hold review meetings in the districts from May 11 to 18, as per the schedule announced by the KPCC.
The PAC meeting will be held at Indira Bhavan here at 3 p.m. on May 16 and the larger meeting will be at 10.30 a.m. on May 17. Apart from the PAC members, former KPCC presidents, KPCC and Congress legislature party office-bearers, executive committee members, KPCC members, legislators, Parliament members, DCC presidents, permanent invitees, special invitees, spokespersons, State presidents of feeder organisations, and various cells will attend the May-17 meeting.
Prior to this, the KPCC president will convene a meeting of the DCC presidents at 9 a.m. on May 17.
