Resentment is brewing among many Congress leaders in Kerala over slow progress in the membership drive and restricting the membership enrolment only to the digital mode, even as the printed membership forms were lying unutilised at party offices.
Ongoing infight in the party over reconstitution of party committees as well as the attempt by a section to sabotage organisational elections were considered to be the factors for the membership drive to remain on the back burner. The matter is likely to be taken up by some leaders with Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a visit to his constituency Wayanad.
Even as AICC directed that the membership campaign shall be done either using the printed forms or through digital media, so far, only a digital membership drive has been initiated in the state. Membership forms were already printed by the party and supplied to the district Congress committees, but are remaining unutilised. As per schedule, the membership campaign ends by March 31.
A section of Congress leaders said that no efforts were being made by the Kerala PCC leadership to boost the membership campaign. The offline campaign using printed forms is even a measure to energise the party workers at the grassroots levels.
Kerala PCC vice president V T Balram, who is in charge of the membership drive, told DH that priority was being given to the digital campaign. But as complaints regarding connectivity were coming up, offline membership enrolment would be also initiated soon.
A Kerala PCC office bearer, on the condition of anonymity, admitted that the ongoing issues in the party over the constitution of party committees was also a reason for the membership campaign not getting much momentum.
Meanwhile, a section in the party was also suspecting that the membership campaign was being deliberately delayed to scuttle the party organisational elections in Kerala as the national leadership already clarified that the leaders being nominated as Kerala PCC office bearers now would also have to face the organisational elections which are scheduled from April 16.
The delay in organisational elections in Kerala may also affect the representation of the party's state unit in the elections of the AICC office bearers and party president, a senior leader said. Organisational elections were last held in Kerala in 1993. As per the last membership drive in 2017 there were about 33.5 lakh members. Party state leaders have now set a target of 50 lakh.
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