The Congress party’s youth brigade, primarily led by five legislators, took up cudgels against senior party leader P.J. Kurien, who recently completed his Rajya Sabha term and is expecting a nomination to contest the June 21 elections from the State to the Upper House of Parliament.
The huge defeat in the Chengannur byelection has emboldened the legislators — Hibi Eden, Roji M. John, V.T. Balram, Anil Akkara, and Shafi Parambil — to air their views on the social media, demanding that the party consider a younger person for the seat.
On his FB page, Mr. Eden urged the party leadership not to consider Rajya Sabha an old-age home and to utilise the opportunity to induct new faces. Mr. Balram’s grouse was that certain senior leaders had monopolised the Rajya Sabha membership, while Mr. Parambil hoped that Mr. Kurien would step down on his own. Mr. Akkara stretched it a bit by wondering whether he should cast his vote at all.
However, former KPCC president K. Muraleedharan said age was not a factor for nomination to the House of Elders. A person should be efficient. Youngsters should contest the general elections, he said.