A K Antony puts weight behind V M Sudheeran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress groups’ move to oust Mr V.M. Sudheeran as PCC president has received a setback with senior leader A.K. Antony telling the AICC leadership that he should not be made a scapegoat for the poll debacle.   Congress president Sonia Gandhi  and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have relied on Mr Antony’s counsel regarding the Kerala affairs and his support has given a shot in the arm for Mr Sudheeran. 

Mr Rahul Gandhi  had held talks with the senior KPCC leaders during the last few weeks on strengthening the   party and has asked them to end the groupism to revive the party.   Sources told DC that Mr Antony supported the corrective measures taken by Mr Sudheeran  before the Assembly elections. The  three senior leaders, Mr Oommen Chandy, Mr Sudheeran and Mr Ramesh Chennithala had owned up collective responsibility for the poll debacle, and Mr Chandy had opted out of any positions in the party.

“So  Chennithala was chosen as the Opposition Leader. Therefore, Mr Antony told the  AICC leadership that Mr  Sudheeran should not be made a scapegoat,” said a leader. The central leadership wants to end  factional politics in the state, but the state leaders have ignored it.  Many leaders have told the central leadership that Mr Sudheeran cannot lead the party in the next Lok Sabha elections.

“Both Chennithala and Sudheeran can’t take the allies into confidence and fight the  LDF,”  said a senior ‘I’ group leader. Meanwhile, seven KPCC secretaries told  Mr Rahul Gandhi that they had been holding on to the same post for the last 13 years and that they want  restructuring of the party.