KALPETTA: The CPM rebels secretly erecting flex boards and shouting slogans welcoming Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan irking the official faction is not a new phenomenon. But furious Congress rebels setting up banners and raising slogans welcoming him is a new trend.
The house of John, the senior Congress leader of Payyampalli near Manananthavadi who committed suicide recently after the poll defeat, witnessed such novel scenes on Tuesday when VS visited the bereaved family.
A group of Congress workers shouted slogans welcoming him and a flex board was raised outside John’s home by ‘Save Congress Forum,’ a group of youth protesting against the Wayanad DCC and its president, K. L. Poulose, who is believed to have played a key role behind John’s defeat.
His visit gained significance as no prominent state-level Congress leader has so far visited the house expressing condolences. Congress workers of Payyampally, the native place of John, were upset by his death as John was removed from his sitting seat to give way for a close ally of DCC chief.
In his suicide note, John had also named those leaders who worked behind the curtains to defeat him, including the DCC chief and a Mahila Congress leader.
The VS visit came at a time when the protest was boiling among Congress workers over the neglect of KPCC leadership towards the veteran leader. John secured only 39 votes of the total 797 votes polled whereas the Congress rebel bagged 197 votes.
A weeping Maraiyamma, wife of John, told VS that John was sure about his defeat though he never expected such a poor show. Mariyamma and son Varghese also submitted two separate petitions to VS demanding legal action against the accused named by John in the suicide note
Later, addressing reporters, VS said he would approach Chief Minister Oommen Chandy demanding action against the Congress leaders named by John in his suicide note. “With a broken heart, John ended his life as he realised that his partymen stabbed him on his back”, VS said.
Meanwhile, Congress Mananthavadi mandalam leader Sunny Jose Chalil said Congress workers had no role in erecting a flex board welcoming VS and shouting slogans during the visit.
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