Sonia Gandhi wants ‘old guard’ to bring back old glory
Many of them have been sidelined for the sake of new faces during elections.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The old guard in the Congress may see better times with interim president Sonia Gandhi seeking their services to revive the party. She has sought the details of such veterans who had contributed immensely to the party’s fortunes earlier.
KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran will prepare a report on those elected from the state in the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, 2009 and 2014.
Many of them have been sidelined for the sake of new faces during elections. The AICC has received several complaints from such leaders. Actor-turned politician Urmila Matondkar had quit the party after losing the North Mumbai LS seat within five months of joining the Congress.
“KPCC president Mull-apally Ramachandran, who has been busy with party programmes in Malabar and Pala, will give a report on the former Kerala MPs after the Pala by-election,” a KPCC official told DC.
K. P. Dhanapalan, who won from Chalakudy in 2009, and Prof. K. V. Thomas, who represented Ernakulam for five consecutive terms, told DC that the latest move by Sonia Gandhi will strengthen the party.
“In many parts of the country, the booth committees were not functional. During the LS election, leaders from elsewhere were squee-zed in as booth committee leaders. Those who had contested the elections know the constit-uency well and the AICC wants to tap their expe-rtise,” said Dhanapalan.
Thomas also welcomed the move to seek the services of former MPs twhen the country is going through a difficult phase.