Infighting in Kerala Congress aggravates further as Chandy, Chennithala boycott UDF meeting

Infighting in the Congress in Kerala aggravated further with senior leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala boycotting a meeting of the United Democratic Front on Monday to strongly convey their displeasure against the new state leadership for allegedly sidelining them and their loyalists.

The two leaders felt that the state party chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan were sidelining them by acting at the behest of the AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and hence even the high command was not taking any favourable decisions on their grievances.

The party state leadership has already apprised the national leadership about the continuing indifference of the two senior leaders which was affecting the party's functioning.

Party sources told DH that even as the new leadership had been taking disciplinary action against many party leaders for violating discipline, they would not be taking the risk of initiating any action against Chandy and Chennithala given their popularity. Both leaders also have the backing of Congress's coalition partners.

Also Read | Kerala Congress' faction feud saga continues, even after restructuring

Sources close to Chandy and Chennithala said that the current leadership was initiating a dictatorship model of administration with disciplinary action being taken against party leaders without even giving a show cause notice. Despite instructions from the high command, the political affairs committee meeting was yet to be convened and disciplinary norms were not being framed, they added.

"Neither Chandy nor Chennithala are making any open comments against the party leadership these days. Instead, they have conveyed their grievances to the party high command only. But the state leadership was making open statements targeting the senior leaders," said a loyalist of Chandy.

The senior leaders were also disturbed over the social media campaigns being carried out against them allegedly by the supporters of Sudhakaran and Satheesan.

Earlier, former Kerala PCC presidents Mullapally Ramachandran and V M Sudheeran had also openly expressed their displeasure over the style of functioning of the new leadership.

The high command has also not entertained Chandy and Chennithala's request to put on hold the ongoing selection of state and district office bearers as organisational polls were announced in the party.

Check out latest DH videos here