Crown of polls' awaits chief M M Hassan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KPCC acting president M. M. Hassan, who assumed charge on Sunday,  is faced with a number of  pressing  issues like the Malappuram Lok Sabha by-election and the organisational elections which have  not been held for over 25 years.  The 2019 Lok Sabha elections also  stare at him.   Former chief minister Oommen Chandy  and his ‘A’ group have been demanding party elections though many senior leaders are apprehensive of them. Mr Hassan has said that one of his priorities will be organisational elections. 

The decision by Mr  Mullapally Ramachandran,  AICC  chairman of the election authority, will be crucial for holding the polls in 29 states and  seven union territories.  He was firm on the  elections during a meeting of the political affairs committee recently.   “The party elections may not happen  in another six months as the AICC cannot hold them in Kerala alone.  Hassan will continue as KPCC president as per Chandy’s script,”  said a KPCC general secretary. The Congress leadership is  also faced with the task  of    arresting the growth of the BJP in the state.

Earlier, the senior leadership comprising  former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, Chandy and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala was soft towards the  BJP.  But senior Congress leader A.K. Antony had  shared his anxiety over it. “The immediate task before Hassan is to ensure the  victory of IUML leader P. K. Kunhalikutty  in the Malappuram by-election.  The  65, 000 votes gained by the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Malappuram should be reduced this time,” said a senior Congress leader.