THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Habits die hard. The Congress party in Kerala does not seem to have learnt any lessons from the spectacular victory its counterpart in neighbouring Karnataka scored in the recently-held Assembly elections in that State.
What is worse is that group politics in the Kerala unit has hit a new low. This has happened at a time when the party needs to sink differences and put up a united front in preparation for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. As if this is not enough, the party has suffered twin setbacks within the space of three days, too.
The first setback to the official leadership in Kerala came when Congress national secretary in charge of Kerala Tariq Anwar said the High Command is willing to make changes in the already announced list of block committee presidents. Anwar, who is in Kerala on a damage-control mission, said anyone with grievances can meet him. With dialogue and discussions, the differences can be settled, Anwar said, adding that it is an internal matter of the party.
The problem, however, is that the dominant A and I groups in the party are in no mood to talk to Anwar. They have accused him of taking sides in the infighting within the Kerala unit. They would rather have direct talks with the High Command – Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi – although Anwar is in Kerala as a representative of the party High Command. Their main grouse against KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of the Opposition (LOP) VD Satheesan is that they have packed the list of block presidents with their supporters and loyalists of Congress national general secretary in charge of party organization K C Venugopal.
Trouble began when Sudhakaran and Satheesan announced the list of block presidents without consulting the A and I group leaders, according to the group managers. The matter took a serious turn when the warring A and I groups joined hands for the first time to resist the unilateral announcement made by the KPCC chief and LOP. Sensing the militant mood of I group leader Ramesh Chennithala and A group leader MM Hassan, Sudhakaran initiated talks but failed to pacify them.
In another significant development, Congress national general secretary in charge of the organization, K C Venugopal disowned Sudhakaran and Satheesan after they ignored his appeal to consult former State Congress presidents before announcing the list of block committee presidents. The change in attitude indicates the changing equations within the Kerala unit of the Congress. The unfortunate developments have affected efforts to forge total unity in the party in preparation for the 2024 parliamentary polls.
The party suffered another jolt when it failed to choose a consensus candidate for the post of Youth Congress state president. A contest for the post has become inevitable with the groups bent upon fielding their own candidates. While the A group has finalized Rahul Mamkoottathil, the nominee of the I group is Abin Varkey. Also in the race is a KC Venugopal loyalist Binu Chulliyil.
The second setback to the Congress in Kerala is the vigilance probe ordered by the State Government against KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and LOP V D Satheesan. The Vigilance probe against Satheesan is into allegations of corruption in the Punarjani housing scheme for the homeless in his constituency. Satheesan has countered by saying that the probe has come in retaliation for his charge against the Government over ‘illegal’ fund mobilization for the Loka Kerala Sabha meet held in the US recently.
Close on the heels of the enquiry against Satheesan has come a crime branch probe against Sudhakaran in connection with a cheating case involving fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. The agency has summoned top Congress leaders in Kerala to its office in Kochi for questioning. The crime branch has arraigned Sudhakaran as the second accused in the case. The action has come after the complainant in the case alleged that he saw Sudhakaran at Mavunkal’s house at Kaloor in Kochi when he went to meet him. According to complainant Anoop, Monson has claimed that he was close to Sudhakaran and had financial dealings with him. Sudhakaran is facing more trouble with the Enforcement Directorate all set to probe the KPCC chief’s role in a money laundering case in which Monson is the accused. (IPA Service)