The move to bring Kerala Congress (M) back into the United Democratic Front (UDF) has created a lot of heart-burning in the Congress and in the coalition, with several leaders openly expressing their resentment cutting across faction loyalties.
Kerala Congress (Jacob) chairman Johnny Nelloor and K. Muraleedharan, MLA, kept off an emergency meeting of the UDF high-power committee (HPC), while former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran made his exit as soon as Mr. Mani arrived to a warm welcome of other leaders.
‘Not beneficial for Cong’
Prior to his exit, Mr. Sudheeran said the decision to surrender the lone Rajya Sabha seat the UDF could win to the KC(M) would not be beneficial to the Congress. The decision lacked transparency. He attended the meeting because he wanted to express his views before exiting.
Leaders of other UDF partners expressed concern at the mounting differences in the Congress. Mr. Nelloor, who is also the UDF secretary, expressed resentment at the sidelining of smaller constituents, which had a few of their unmet demands.
Mr. Muraleedharan taunted the leadership, urging it to consider bringing back the Janata Dal (United) led by M.P. Veerendrakumar, by promising a sitting Lok Sabha seat. He said he welcomed the re-entry of the KC(M), but was not happy with the huge price that the Congress had to pay. A vast majority of the Congress workers shared the sentiments and he had kept off the UDF meeting to reflect this.
In the meantime, activists of the Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union staged marches to the Cantonment House, the official residence of Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala. By the end of the day, it became clear that the resentment led to cracks in factional loyalties as well, with voices of dissonance coming from leaders such as Joseph Vazhakkan, a close aide of Mr. Chennithala.
In Malappuram, the wave of protest within the Congress culminated in the hoisting of the Indian Union Muslim League flag atop the District Congress Committee office here on Friday. It was around mid-night on Thursday that some people hoisted the IUML flag atop the Congress flag. The IUML flag was removed in the morning. There were demonstrations in Kottayam, Idukki and a few other districts.
