Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran has given up his membership in the United Democratic Front (UDF) liaison committee.
He wrote a terse letter to KPCC president M.M. Hassan and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday informing them about his decision. Mr. Sudheeran had been automatically co-opted to the UDF committee in his capacity as a former KPCC president.
Even though he did not give the reasons for quitting, it is believed that he took the plunge as an expression of disgust at the style of functioning of the Congress leadership. Mr. Sudheeran’s position in the UDF had become untenable after he expressed his rather strong resentment in the manner the Kerala Congress (M) was reinducted into the coalition.
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Mr. Sudheeran apparently was cut up about the fact that the Congress leadership had repeatedly failed to present the spirit of the discussions and debates that had taken place in party platforms reflecting the general sentiments of party workers. According to sources close to Mr. Sudheeran, his view is that the party leadership has failed to convey the strong resentment of party workers at the decision to induct the Kerala Congress (M).
The KPCC leadership has, on its part, been reluctant to provide Mr. Sudheeran any elbow room following his opposition to Mr. Mani’s entry. The entire episode came a full circle when the KPCC, in a recent report to the party high command, attributed the UDF’s miserable Assembly election defeat to the liquor policy. The report indirectly blamed Mr. Sudheeran for the defeat, KPCC sources said.