THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The truce in Congress in Kerala resulting from the spectacular victory in the Thrikkakara assembly by-election is in danger of collapsing.
The proximate cause for this apprehension in Congress circles in the State is the emphatic rejection by the Congress High Command of the 280-member General Council list prepared by the State leadership. The High Command’s snub is, undoubtedly, a setback to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran and Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan. The hardening of the high command’s stance has also caused quick evaporation of the euphoria generated by the Thrikkakara poll victory.
The list has been rejected because of the State Congress leadership’s failure to implement the decisions taken at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir to ensure 50 per cent representation for youth and women in party committees. The 280-member list has been prepared by making only token changes to the existing council, dominated by the loyalists of the two dominant groups in the State unit of the party led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former leader of the opposition, Ramesh Chennithala.
The High Command is said to be mighty annoyed by the State leadership’s casual approach to the matter. Reports say that there is not even a 10 per cent change in the incumbent general council. Another reason for rejection is that while constituting the council, the need for ensuring social balance has not been addressed either.
It may be mentioned that immediately after the Thrikkakara by-election victory, party’s returning officer G. Parameshwara had directed Sudhakaran and Satheesan to prepare the draft list of the new general council members. Accordingly, the list was finalized in consultation with senior leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala besides UDF convener M M Hassan.
A close look at the composition of the list clearly shows that Rahul Gandhi’s suggestion to ensure 50 per cent representation to youth and women has not been adhered to. It has well and truly been sabotaged. Communal balancing also leaves much to be desired. For instance, there is no representation to Lathin Catholic, Nadar and Muslim communities, especially in Thiruvananthapuram district.
On his part, Satheesan came out with a lame excuse contending that the shortcomings were due to hasty preparation of the list! He also went on to justify the list by claiming that normally, only 20 to 25 per cent representation is given to youth and women! This is contrary to his earlier stance that the two groups will not be allowed to have a decisive say in the composition of the list. The list that has been rejected, however, shows that the loyalists of the two groups account for lion’s share of the list. This ‘defiance’ seems to have incurred the wrath of the High Command, which is bent upon stamping out groupism in the state unit.
The High Command’s stance also shows that the Sudhakaran-Satheesan duo has failed in their efforts to curb group politics in the party. The Chandy-Chennithala team continues to have a powerful grip on the party organization. And unless the list is drastically revised, the friction within the party is likely to deepen. This does not augur well for the party, which is in a positive frame of mind in the wake of the Thrikkakara victory.
Mention must also be made of the dismal failure of the state leadership to reach nowhere near the targeted enrolment of 50 lakh new members. This is being attributed to the newly-formed ‘axis’ of AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and Satheesan formed with the objective of cutting KPCC president Sudhakaran to size. Sudhakaran had incidentally, claimed that he would achieve the target of 50 lakh members by April 15. But all that he has managed to do was to enroll 12.96 lakh members.
One thing is for sure. Unless the differences between the senior leaders are resolved soon, things will be back to square one: mutual bickering and mudslinging. In the process, the party runs the risk of losing the momentum created by the Thrikkakara by-poll victory. Such a denouement will considerably weaken the party’s effort to wrest power from an entrenched Left Democratic Front (LDF). (IPA Service)
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