Cong leaders flay Tharoor’s remarks

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress is gearing up for Lok Sabha elections with ward-level activities planned in all constituencies and so this is not the time to discuss who will be the chief minister candidate in the next assembly elections, said AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Friday.
Speaking at the function related to the construction of a K Karunakaran memorial building here on Friday, Venugopal took a dig at Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor saying, “If anyone has any wish then it should be said inside the party forum and in the party committees.”
“Presently, Congress has the most suitable atmosphere to record a massive victory in Lok Sabha elections. CPM is disintegrating, and people have lost trust in CPM after the last assembly elections. It has to be remembered that Congress lost the last two assembly elections. Hence, we do not have the time to discuss issues which have no relevance now,” he said.
“Congress has given all freedom to leaders, and everything can be discussed within the party forum. The leaders should refrain from unnecessary discussions in public,” he added.
Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who also spoke on the occasion, came down heavily on Tharoor without naming him. “Nobody should claim now that he will become what after four years. Nobody can predict what will happen in Kerala and in the country after four years. Hence if anyone is preparing for something, he should not waste time over it. Now, the time is to work for victory in Lok Sabha elections and every leader should focus on that,” said Ramesh.
K Muraleedharan said, “If the party does not win elections, then all wishes can be shelved. Hence, the priority should be to win elections.”