V M Sudheeran to remain Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mr V.M. Sudheeran will continue as KPCC president  with the AICC leadership deciding not to succumb to  the group pressure to remove him. Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has asked  Mr Sudheeran to go ahead with the organisational elections ignoring the groups’ demand that he should be replaced ahead of  organisational elections.

The high-power committee to revamp the party  will be announced soon. Mr Sudheeran urged Mr Rahul Gandhi to include senior leaders in the committee. Congress sources told DC that the criterion for revamping will be   eligibility and efficiency. Mr Sudheeran told the central leadership that the Congress was beaten due to factional politics in the Assembly and local bodies’ elections. Mr Rahul Gandhi  asked Mr Sudheeran to complete the reorganisation before the organisational polls by taking  into confidence former chief minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithalan.

Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala are expected to leave for New Delhi on August  23 to meet the AICC leadership.  Senior leader A. K. Antony too had told the  AICC leadership about the  regular group meetings. Though Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala had promised the party leaders that things would be smooth during the election campaigning,  the majority of the candidates did not get adequate funds.

“Despite the Election Commission’s diktat, some Congress candidates spent more than Rs 1.5 crore in their constituencies. However, majority of the Congress candidates did not get adequate funds which led to their defeat. The fault lies with the KPCC leadership and AICC leaders are now convinced that Chandy and Chennithala have been trying to protect their  interests,” said a Congress leader.