The Congress Political Affairs Committee, which met here on Sunday, decided to go ahead with the reconstitution of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and some of the District Congress Committees (DCCs) in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha election irrespective of the uncertainties that have gripped the party’s national leadership.
The PAC has decided to complete the revamp process by the end of July and set the stage for the conduct of a party camp in the State capital on August 2 and 3. The election of KPCC working presidents K. Sudhakaran and Kodikunnil Suresh, and DCC presidents V.K. Sreekantan (Palakkad) and T.N. Pratapan (Thrissur) to the Lok Sabha has prompted the State leadership to think about reconstitution. The election of UDF convener Benny Behanan as MP will necessitate induction of another nominee for the post.
The collective nature of the PAC meeting has assumed importance in the context of the prevailing power vacuum in Delhi consequent to the resignation of Rahul Gandhi. The meeting decided to ensure the installation of trim committees for the KPCC and DCC, with representation for youth and women and other segments.
And going by the statement of KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran at the meeting, the party will most probably do away with the working president system, which had come into being as part of a faction accommodation formula. It is now clear that the revamp will be focussed on the KPCC and DCCs as the party leadership will have to consider setting up ward committees to initiate the preparations for the local body elections next year.
The PAC also decided to organise a series of agitations against the LDF government, particularly against the police atrocities and decision to discontinue Karunya Benevolent Fund to name a few.
The KPCC’s proposed panchayat-based agitation on July 10 has been deferred to July 15 and will be organised under the United Democratic Front (UDF) banner focusing on the State government’s attempt to throttle local bodies financially and administratively, failure to rehabilitate those affected by the big floods last year and the Karunya Benevolent Fund.
