As group equations within the Congress are undergoing a major churn, the disquiet within the party is spreading to more parts of central Travancore amid attempts to revamp the party units.
The present escalation of hostilities is primarily attributed to a growing frustration among the ‘A’ group managers over their perceived sidelining in the proposed reorganisation of the Pathanamthitta District Congress Committee. Adding to their concerns, no active member of the group has made it to the 55-member list prepared by a DCC subcommittee as part of the revamp.
“While the subcommittee that prepared the list has reasoned that the nominations are solely on the basis of performance, it has failed to calm the ‘A’ group. They feel betrayed and also point to the presence of two leaders from the group led by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on the committee,” says a senior Congress leader from the district.
Former DCC president Babu George, a strong ‘A’ group affiliate, has been under suspension for alleged violation of party discipline and, hence, could not nominate anyone to the list. Two other senior ‘A’ group leaders from the district, K. Sivadasan Nair and P. Mohanraj, too have abstained from the selection process and are expected to convey their nominations directly to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
Of the remaining members on the subcommittee, senior leaders P.J. Kurien, Anto Antony, MP, and DCC president Satish Kochuparambil are not specifically associated with any group while Adoor Prakash was closely associated with the ‘I’ group earlier.
Factional squabbles in the party came out in the open during a tumultuous meeting of the DCC reorganisation subcommittee a couple of weeks ago. This was followed by a war of words between the leaders of a scale almost unprecedented for the KPCC and even fights, at a couple of party meetings.
Desperate to tackle the crisis, KPCC president K.Sudhakaran decreed a ban on party leaders from making public statements on the issue and tasked the party disciplinary committee headed by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to inquire into the issue.
The three member-committee, which also comprises KPCC vice president V.T. Balram and Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA, is slated to meet party leaders in Pathanamthitta later next week. “The issue has been of top priority and the proceedings in this regard will begin immediately after the All India Congress Committee meeting in New Delhi,” Mr .Radhakrishnan said.
