UDF leaders make a beeline to Perunna

Thiruvananthapuram: The meeting held by Congress and other UDF leaders with NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair at Perunna on Thursday resembled a core committee meeting.

Those present at  the centenary celebrations of NSS included Forest and Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, KC (B) Chairman R. Balakrishna Pillai, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman  Prof. P. J. Kurien, union ministers K. C. Venugopal and Kodikunnil Suresh, state ministers K. C. Joseph and  V. S. Sivakumar, and other leaders like K. Muraleedharan, Lathika Subhash, K. Sivadasan Nair, P. C. Vishnunath, Idukki MP  P. T. Thomas and Kottayam MP Jose K. Mani.

Chennithala and Thiruvanchoor held talks with Sukumaran Nair for over two hours.

A peeved Pillai, who is also the director board member of NSS, was dissuaded by KPCC general secretary Sooranad Rajasekharan from calling a press meet coinciding with his party meeting in the capital on Friday.

He is upset over his son K. B. Ganesh Kumar not being taken back into the ministry.  

Chennithala assured Pillai of doing the needful though the consensus is that allies who have only single MLAs need not be given ministerial berths in future.

Pillai also expressed his displeasure at not being invited for the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.

“What is the point in attending Friday’s UDF meeting when the same entity has divested my son of his portfolio and handed it over to Thiruvanchoor? I will meet the media after our leadership meet on Friday and  reveal more then,”  Pillai told DC.