Congress leaders rush to Delhi for talks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The AICC will announce an enlarged election campaign committee for Kerala within a few days. KPCC campaign committee chairman K. Muraleedharan has submitted a 25-member panel comprising politicians, economists and prominent citizens for the committee.

State leaders, including PCC president Mullapally Ramachandran, AICC general secretary Oom-men Chandy, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, UDF convener Benny Behanan and Mr Muraleedharan, will hold talks with the AICC in Delhi on the party revamping.

While Mr Mullapally wants to kick off his statewide yatra with a  new committee in place, Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala feel that any shake-up at this stage will affect the party’s prosp-ects in the Lok Sabha elections. Mr Mullapally had said in New Delhi last week that the list of the revamped KPCC would be announced before January 15.

A leader close to Mr Chandy said, “only some sub- committees will be appointed before the Lok Sabha elections. A revamped committee will create friction among the party workers,” he said.

The shake-up has the blessings of senior leader A. K. Antony. Party chief Rahul Gandhi is also keen on a new team under Mr Mullapally.

The state leaders may face the wrath of Mr Rahul Gandhi for not appointing women booth vice-presidents in the 24, 400 booth committees.

“Rahul Gandhi had asked the KPCC presidents, including Chenn-ithala, to appoint one woman per block committee, but it has not been done,” said a senior Congress leader. Most of the booth committees have only male leaders.