The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee’s (KPCC) organisational restructuring woes appeared to worsen on Tuesday with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) reportedly halting the preselection of new District Congress Committee (DCC) and block committee office-bearers.
At least eight MPs and senior leaders had reportedly accused the KPCC leadership of “branch stacking”.
They had “vehemently opposed” the questionable practice of filling party units with adherents to ensure the dominance of a particular faction or leader in the upcoming organisational elections.
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran was reportedly frustrated by the last-minute change of tack by the Congress high command.
Some group organisers, reckoned to be Mr. Sudhakaran’s backers, asserted the ban was the fallout of the KPCC president’s resistance to alleged attempts by the Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan to run the preselection of DCC office-bearers out of his office.
Venugopal’s role
They felt Mr. Satheesan had strived to provide an avenue for AICC general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal to increase his influence in the party in Kerala by trying to parachute supporters into critical positions ahead of the organisational polls.
Earlier, the traditional ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups had raised a similar objection, which was “swatted aside brusquely” by the high command. The factions had also resented Mr. Venugopal’s alleged bid to accumulate “outsize influence” in the KPCC.
Consequently, speculation was rife in the party that the AICC’s embargo on KPCC reorganisation could signal a radical realignment of group equations.
An insider said factional politics in the Congress in Kerala seemed poised to enter an animated and perhaps pivotal phase after a brief lull.
Meanwhile, Mr. Satheesan appeared to deny rumours of mounting animus between him and Mr. Sudhakaran.
The KPCC president had his full backing to complete the reorganisation process. The KPCC had whittled down “jumbo committees” to recast the party into a hardy election-winning machine.
Consequently, a section of the rank and file felt sidelined. It gave rise to the complaints aired by few MPs and senior leaders.
He said the party endeavoured for inclusive reorganisation, and the Congress tent was large enough to accommodate everybody.
