The decision of the Congress leadership to offer the Rajya Sabha seat to Kerala Congress (M) has triggered protests among Congress workers in the district with some of the office-bearers stepping down from their posts.
Reacting to the decision, one of the secretaries of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), K. Jayanth, who hails from Kozhikode, resigned from the post. He told the media on Friday that he had sent his resignation letter to the KPCC president in protest against the party succumbing to pressure from its allies. Neither the Congress nor the United Democratic Front (UDF) would be able to grow in the State by succumbing to all the wishes of their the allies. It was quite evident from previous experiences, he said.
His resignation from the post was the natural reaction of any Congress activist with self- respect, he said. However, he would continue to be a member of the party, added Mr. Jayanth.
All the 12 members of the district committee including its president V.T. Nihal of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the party’s student affiliate, also resigned in protest. The decision was suicidal for the Congress party, he said. Workers of the Youth Congress and the KSU had taken out protest marches in Kozhikode on Thursday night.
However, district Congress committee (DCC) president T. Siddique and KPCC general secretary N. Subramanian justified the decision of the Congress leadership at a press conference, stating that it would help strengthen the party and the UDF in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Such a situation had emerged earlier also and offering the Rajya Sabha seat to an ally only showed the broad-mindedness of the coalition, they added.
The DCC would also hold a meeting on June 20 to discuss the issue. Preparations were on to galvanize ordinary workers at the grass roots for the Lok Sabha polls.
KSU State president K.M. Abhijith said he had not accepted the resignation of the district unit members. Mahila Congress district president P. Usha, Youth Congress district president Jaison Atholi, KPCC general secretary K. Praveen Kumar were present at the press conference.