With just a day left to mark the first death anniversary of former Chief Minister and Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, a storm appears to be brewing within the ‘A‘ group over the formation of a charitable society in his memory.
The Oommen Chandy Foundation, a brainchild of Chandy Oommen, MLA, son of the late leader, has been launched without consulting the Congress and has excluded close confidants of the late leader like K.C. Joseph, Benny Behnan, and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. While these leaders have not publicly aired their grievances, Mr. Oommen’s independent actions have stoked a fire of discontent, particularly among the ‘A’ group leaders.
The foundation will be formally unveiled on July 18, the first death anniversary of Oommen Chandy. According to Mr. Oommen, the foundation and its office will be inaugurated by AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal in Kottayam on the late leader’s commemoration day.
Rumours are doing the rounds that senior ‘A’ group leaders will boycott the events organised by the foundation in Puthuppally on July 18. Instead, they will be present at a separate commemoration event organised by the District Congress Committee at Mamman Mappila Hall in Kottayam on the same day.
Miffed at the development, the senior ‘A’ group leaders are also plotting to establish a foundation in Oommen Chandy’s name on their own. “The party will proceed with an earlier decision by the KPCC to establish a foundation in Oommen Chandy’s name,” a Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed.
‘Apolitical initiative’
Mr. Chandy, on his part, brushed off the allegations, asserting that the initiative is apolitical. “I am the only politician in the foundation. The other trustee member is based in Qatar,” he said.
He emphasised that numerous leaders are involved in the organising committee to host the foundation’s programmes, though they are not official members. To back his point, he referenced the Ashraya Foundation established by Oommen Chandy. “Even I was not a member of Ashraya, which had only people from Puthuppally as its members. However, we have been consulting with the Ashraya foundation,” he explained.
