Factions agree on seat-sharing; VM sudheeran revolts

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress will stage  protest meetings against the price rise of  essential goods before the secretariat and AG’s office in Thiruvananthapuram  on September 26. MPs, MLAs, KPCC office-bearers and chairmen of local bodies will attend it. 

On Gandhi Jayanti, Congress mandalam committees will hold six-hour fasts  against the CPM – BJP violence.  

This was decided at the political affairs committee  meeting  held here on Wednesday which also demanded that petroleum products should be included in the GST regime.

KPCC president M.M  Hassan told reporters that there was  no dispute on the post of Opposition Leader. 

He was referring to the controversy over the remarks made by Mr K. Muraleedharan MLA that former chief minister Oommen Chandy would have been a better Opposition Leader than Mr Ramesh Chennithala. Mr Muraleedharan clarified that the media had twisted his remarks.   

The  issue was raised in the meeting by the lone woman member in the PAC, Ms Shanimol Usman. AICC leader P. C. Chacko also  supported her.  

“It is the media which twisted  the comments of Muraleedharan. RSP state secretary A. A. Azeez had clarified his comments. Mr Muraleedharan too clarified  that what he said was that Mr Chandy was an eligible candidate for the post of Opposition Leader.  He  also said that Mr Chennithala is the best Opposition Leader,” said Mr Hassan.

SUDHEERAN’S PROTEST:  Former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran  opposed the leadership’s decision to share the party posts among the two factions in the organisational revamping.  Mr Hassan promised to find a formula to choose the leaders.

The  ‘A’ and ‘I’ factions led by Mr Chandy and Mr  Chennithala had  reportedly  agreed to share the party posts to  avoid the  organisational elections. Mr  Sudheeran told  the meeting that there were many, including MPs and MLAs who were working without any allegiance to the factions.

“They may not be as organised as the two groups. But they have more hold in the party which should not be forgotten,” warned  Mr Sudheeran. Two MPs – M. I. Shahnavas and K. V. Thomas—said  that the sharing of posts would further damage the party. Mr Hassan along with MLAs Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan and V. D. Satheesan and former MLA Benny Behanan assured Mr Sudheeran that only after holding talks with  the leaders the sharing mechanism would be finalised.