Bypoll defeat triggers fresh war in Kerala’s Cong

Intense disputes have erupted in Kerala’s Congress party in the wake of the party-led Opposition UDF’s shocking defeat in the by-election in Chengannur Assembly seat. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has reportedly received a “flood of complaints” from middle-level party functionaries in Kerala against the top leaders of the State unit.

Complaining that the main reason for party candidate D Vijayakumar’s defeat in Chengannur bypoll was the rampant group wars within the organisation, the functionaries have asked the party chief to intervene in the State unit’s affairs immediately. They have also complained to Rahul that organisational activities were at a standstill in the State due to groupism.

In the Chengannur Assembly by-election, LDF’s CPI(M) candidate Saji Cherian had defeated Vijayakumar by a stunning margin of 20,956 votes. Even more shocking was the fact that the Left had established its domination in all the 11 local administration segments, including those known so far as UDF strongholds, in the constituency.

Rahul Gandhi has reportedly been requested to appoint a leader with grassroots connections as regular president for the State unit at the earliest. Presently, senior leader MM Hassan, known as a manager of the ‘A’ group headed by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, is acting as the PCC chief. “Effectively, the party had faced the by-poll without a president,” said a top leader.

Calling for a big change in the style of functioning of the group leaders, senior Congress leader and former State party chief VM Sudheeran said, “There is a tendency among the leaders to attach more importance to factional activities than to organisational works. They should be prepared to put an end to that style,” he said.

The State Congress’s political affairs committee will hold a meeting on June 11 to discuss the setback suffered by the UDF in the by-election even as constituent parties of the Opposition front also have asked the Congress to do introspection. However, observers are of the opinion that the meeting itself may turn into another occasion for battle between groups.