JOIN USAnger is simmering among a section of senior Congress leaders in Kerala against AICC General Secretary Oommen Chandy and Kerala Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala for “forfeiting” the lone Rajya Sabha seat it could win to an estranged ally when it was not “putting too much pressure” for post.
Though saddled with complaints that Congress President Rahul Gandhi was “misled” by these two leaders, the Congress central leadership has made it clear that it will not go back on the decision, which led to the party denying seat to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien.
Even senior leader A K Antony, who was “not consulted”, is also said to be upset with the decision. Some of the senior leaders have reached out to the party high command with complaints that Rahul Gandhi was fed with “wrong information” about the ground situation in Kerala to agree with the proposal, which is in consonance with the Congress’ latest strategy of accommodating allies’ interest, like in Karnataka.
Chandy, Chennithala and KPCC president M M Hassan is learnt to have briefed Rahul that leaving Kerala Congress (M) out of United Democratic Front (UDF) would lead to the unravelling of the alliance itself and its decimation in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Kerala, which has 20 seats.
Sources said the trio impressed upon Rahul that the UDF could lose five out of the 12 seats it won in 2014 polls if they do not bring back KC (M) back to the UDF.