Thiruvananthapuram: The group war within the State unit of the Congress has reached a flashpoint, with State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala backing Kannur warhorse K. Sudhakaran, MP, saying his words reflected the sentiment of the Congressman in the north.
On Day 2 of the latest slanging bout match, on Tuesday, Sudhakaran told Radhakrishnan that he was “a flop” and must step down instead of presiding over home that “seemed to cater to CPM than the Congressman, whose flex boards were ripped off by cops in Kannur”.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy said in New Delhi in reply to questions that “the party followed a well-established procedure in selecting ministers”. He did not elaborate when reporters pointed out Sudhakaran’s demand for the home minister’s resignation.
Chennithala said he had “conveyed the anguish of the party to the chief minister and urged immediate steps to end the tussle”.
An important development on Wednesday would be the ‘I’ camp demanding the immediate convening of the KPCC office-bearers to discuss the home minister’s functioning.
Stung by broadsides, Radhakrishnan said he was ready to quit, provided those who had appointed him asked him to do so. At the press conference in Kozhikode after the jail visit, Radhakrishnan looked shaken and emotional, saying “they sought my scalp yesterday when we were at our son’s wedding. They wouldn’t spare me even on that occasion”.
Sudhakaran had lashed out, saying Cabinet berth “is not anybody’s family property and a minister who is of no use to the people should go”. Youth Congress leader Rijil Makutty alleged that Radhakrishnan had abused his father when he rang up to complain against the police destroying YC’s flex boards.
“My vocabulary is equally strong, it’s sizzling… I can also pay back in the coin, but in 50 years of public life I’ve never treaded that line”.
Congress spokesperson Pandalam Sudhakaran told DC that the attack was not “personal…it’s a criticism of the police”. Congress sources said ‘A’ group leaders like Benny Bahannan, M. M. Hassan and Thampanoor Ravi were also unhappy with Radhakrishnan.
However, a change of guard is not expected now because the high command had already stated that a Cabinet reshuffle was out of question till after the Lok Sabha elections.
