Thiruvananthapuram: The unofficial Congress legislature party meeting held at Cliff House on Monday backed the government decision to adopt a practical liquor policy and rejected PCC chief V. M. Sudheeran’s stand to keep 730 bars closed.
Out of 38 Congress MLAs, 31 attended the meeting. Prominent ‘I’ group leaders, including Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, also backed Mr Chandy.
The meeting entrusted Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala to sort out the issues between the government and the party. CLP secretary Benny Behanan, who briefed the media, said the meeting was not against Mr Sudheeran, though he came under attack from the MLAs.
Almost all MLAs rallied behind Mr Chandy and expressed their anguish over Mr Sudheeran’s stand on the liquor policy.
Mr Chandy said the changes were made in the liquor policy considering practicality. Some compromises needed to be made in administrative affairs. It was difficult to satisfy everybody and take decisions, said Mr Chandy.
The MLAs opined that the government and the party should move together. The high command was informed of the highlights of the crucial meeting.
With senior Congress leader A. K. Antony already washing his hands of the issue as Mr Sudheeran could not be tamed, it is to be seen whether the AICC would directly intervene in the issue.
Mr Behannan told DC that though the meeting was scheduled for one hour, the deliberations went on for more than three-and-a-half hours till 1.30 p.m.
“Today’s meeting was more serious than the KPCC executive meeting,” he said. “We did not ask for change of guard in the party leadership.
Since Chennithala and CM are aware of the issues, they will decide the future course of action,” said Mr Behanan.
While Sunny Joseph, A. P. Abdulla Kutty and I. C. Balakrishnan of ‘I’ group had expressed their unavailability to attend the meeting due to party programmes in their constituencies, Therambil Ramakrishnan and C. N. Balakrishnan were reportedly not keeping good health.
G. Karthikeyan being the Speaker did not attend the meeting. The lone supporter of Mr Sudheeran, T. N. Prathapan, was away in Doha. Mr A. Achuthan, who is not attached to any group, and ‘I’ group MLA M. P. Vincent were also conspicuous by their absence.
