A K Antony meets leaders as trio' row heats up
A section of Congress leaders allege that Antony has joined hands with Oommen Chandy, Chennithala and Sudheeran.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Political Affairs Committee meeting of the Congress here on Wednesday will decide the probable list of DCC presidents. Senior Congress leader A. K. Antony held talks with former chief minister Oommen Chandy and PCC chief V. M. Sudheeran at KPCC office on Tuesday. AICC leaders Mukul Wasnik and Dipak Babaria will also attend the meeting and pass on the recommendations to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. It is learnt that Mr Sudheeran is keen to get three districts, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, for his supporters, T. N. Prathapan, K. P. Anil Kumar and Palode Ravi respectively.
A section of the Congress leaders alleges that Mr Antony has joined hands with the three senior state Congress leaders to sabotage the AICC plans for young blood in the party. “Rahul Gandhi had appointed the 21-member PAC team after deliberations. But now Chandy, Sudheeran and Chennithala have prepared a list of DCC presidents with the support of Antony, ” said a Congress leader on condition of anonymity.
Congress leaders feel that the four leaders are trying to accommodate those who have lost the 2016 Assembly elections. Mr Antony himself is scared of bringing in ‘young blood,’ it is said. “Despite Antony showing camaraderie among the younger Congress leaders, he is scared of those who are articulate. At the same time, the Congress leadership is shying away from the threat posed by the BJP’s growth in the state,” said another prominent Congress leader.