Thiruvananthapuram: Even though the UDF and Congress leaderships are confident of defending the solar scam judicial commission's findings, they know that the days ahead are not going to be easy. Former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran has already openly expressed his dissent against the Commission’s findings.
The next high power Political Affairs Committee meeting is going to be crucial with Sudheeran’s loyalists like Kodikunnil Suresh MP and T. N. Prathapan as well as AICC in-charge P. C. Chacko expected to express their displeasure against the tainted leaders.
At a press meet held at Indira Bhavan, KPCC president disowned the words of his predecessor Sudheeran. Hassan maintained that Sudheeran’s expressed his personal opinion not the party’s. Earlier at a memorial programme for journalist V. Lakshmanan held at Kollam Press Club, Sudheeran had said that the charges against UDF leaders in the Solar Commission report were grave.
“The seriousness of the report intensifies because the Commission was appointed by the UDF itself. I will comment on this further after studying the report”, said Sudheeran. Though the next meeting of the PAC meeting is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to be convened soon. In all likelihood, the PAC is most likely not to be held here at Indira Bhavan due to Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala’s ongoing ‘Padayorukkam’ which will resume at Malappuram on Friday after a day’s break on Thursday due to the special session of the Legislative Assembly which opened a Pandora’s box for the UDF. A senior Congress leader told DC that neither he nor the leadership was surprised about the open comments of Sudheeran.
“It is unfortunate that a leader of Sudheeran’s stature is openly challenging his colleagues when they are in dire straits. Now Sudheeran is going to claim that what he has always been claiming during the candidature to the 2016 Assembly elections have come true”, said a senior Congress leader.
Already, Kodikunnil who has cosied up to Sudheeran over the last several months had lashed out against a section of UDF ministers who had taken the hospitality of transport minister Thomas Chandy. Congress leaders feel that Kodikunnil would not have openly come out with the allegation against the UDF without the blessings of Sudheeran. At the same time deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha P. J. Kurien’s stand on the solar scam report is also going to be crucial in the next PAC meeting.
