Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee meet mum on poll debacle

Thiruvananthapuram: Contrary to expectations, the crucial KPCC executive meeting did not delve into the actual reasons for the poll debacle. KPCC president V. M Sudheeran said the KPCC camp executive meeting on June 4 and 5 in the presence of 87 Congress candidates would review what contributed to UDF’s defeat.

Discussions did not take place on who should be the next Opposition Leader either. Before the meeting, Mr Sudheeran, caretaker chief minister Oommen Chandy and acting home minister Ramesh Chennithala huddled together and decided that it is ideal to hold a detailed meeting later on as proposed by Mr Chennithala.

“On June 4, we will evaluate the poll debacle. Next day right from KPCC to booth-level members will prepare a draft to strengthen the party,” Mr Sudheeran said. All the 14 DCC presidents reported the performance in their districts. Hence, other leaders could not raise the issues they faced in their constituencies forcing Ottapalam candidate Shanimol Usman and Mahila Congress president Bindu Krishna to walk out in a huff.

They lamented that women had always been given losing seats and forced to taste defeat after toiling hard. Party sources told DC that majority of the DCC presidents said minority votes went to the CPM and Hindu votes to the BJP as senior leaders failed to arrest.

Pathanamthitta DCC president O. C. Mohanraj complained that even family members of local leaders deserted the party.  Kodikunnil Suresh MP, who is acting as Kollam DCC president, reported that UDF government had conveniently forgotten the issues of cashew workers which paved the downfall in the district.

Sudheeran told reporters that the party was accepting the defeat. He criticised CPM and BJP for unleashing violence after the elections and that 142 cases have so far been reported.