Congress on reboot mode

Thiruvananthapuram: The sense of urgency with which the CPM and the BJP in the state are approaching the 2019 Lok Sabha elections has crept into the Congress as well with the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) calling a special session of the political affairs committee Wednesday. The meeting comes also in the backdrop of a sense of unease among the young leaders thanks to the leadership’s failure in seizing the opportunities which could have benefited the party.

The PAC meeting held on June 13 as well as the recently concluded leadership meet had decided to hold a day-long session to gear up the party for the Lok Sabha elections. It is understood that the young leadership is peeved with the leadership on its lacklustre performance as an opposition against the LDF government’s policies, especially the changes in the liquor policy and the spurt in fever-related deaths across the State. They allege that the party’s foundation itself is at stake as the senior leaders give preference to their group interests instead of taking the party forward as a single entity.

“Idealists like V. M. Sudheeran and T. N. Prathapan are on an extended holiday from reacting to real issues being faced by the party,” said a peeved Congress leader. “Party vice-president V. D. Satheesan, MLA, is raising pertinent issues to some extent.” KPCC president M.M. Hassan, however, told DC that the protests organised by the UDF and KPCC leaderships have been effective though. “We cannot organise protest marches on a daily basis,” he said. “But whatever protests that we had organised so far have been effective.

Wednesday’s PAC committee will discuss mainly on measures to strengthen the party towards the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. At the same time, we will also discuss the prevalent political situations in the state.” Senior Congress leader A. K. Antony has been camping in the capital city since last Friday where he is often huddled with party leaders on ways to strengthen the party at his office at Indira Bhavan.