NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress warned party functionaries from Kerala against speaking out of turn or breaching the discipline, warning that action will be taken if any neta “crossed the party line”. The message came as the party brass brainstormed with the state unit to prepare for assembly polls scheduled next year. The party specifically told state members that unnecessary media controversies should be avoided.
As the meeting came in the backdrop of a spate of controversies and speculations about the steering of the state unit, sources said there was unanimity among Kerala functionaries that concerns about the lack of leadership pertained to the top of the hierarchy, and not the lower levels. The view from a cross section of leaders has political significance in view of speculations that the state president K Sudhakaran can be replaced.
However, AICC state in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi said the leadership issue was not on the meeting’s agenda. She also stressed on “collective leadership” as the Congress brass’ message. Meanwhile, it was learned that there would be no change in KPCC leadership and Sudhakaran would continue.
The meeting chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Rahul Gandhi, PCC chief Sudhakaran, LoP V Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and senior netas and MPs including Ramesh Chennithala, K Suresh, P J Kurien, Priyanka Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Hibi Eden, Jebi Mather, Dean Kuriakose, among others.
Dasmunshi, quoting Rahul Gandhi, said he spoke about the connect between Keralites and Congress, and warned party biggies not to do anything that “disrespects” people. She clarified that no party neta is pro-LDF, in what appeared a bid to clear the air over Tharoor’s praise of investment under the LDF govt. Controversies related to Tharoor were raised by some members.
