Congress\' Kerala unit witnesses factionalism over selection of district presidents

Thiruvananthapuram: The factional feud within the Congress in Kerala came out in open over the selection of the new District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents.

Senior leaders like Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala criticised the state leadership while both Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran and Opposition leader V D Satheesan rebutted the charges.

Senior leaders accused the Kerala leadership of not holding proper discussions prior to the selection of district presidents and not taking everyone into confidence.

This comes a day after two Congress leaders Sivadasan Nair and AP Anil Kumar were suspended as part of disciplinary action for criticising the party openly.

Denying the charges as baseless KPCC president at a press conference held at Delhi, said that it is unfortunate that he had to publicly correct the statement of a senior leader like Chandy.

"Twice meetings were conducted with Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala. The names suggested by Chandy was noted by me in my diary," said Sudhakaran showing the diary pages in the press meet.

He said that earlier times discussions were not held in the party and this time selection was made after proper discussion with all in a democratic manner overcoming factionalism in Congress.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan backed the KPCC president saying that discussions were made with all leaders including Chandy and Chennithala.

"In the last 18 years, it is for the first time such elaborate discussions were held with all MPs, MLAs and other leaders including Chandy and Chennithala before coming up with the list. If seven persons each are taken from the list they had given then there is no point of us sitting in such positions? Maybe they are expecting it. As this is what that happened earlier," he said.

Meanwhile, both Sivadasan Nair and AP Anil Kumar hit back at the new Kerala leadership alleging that both Sudhakaran and Satheesan had severely criticised the senior leaders of the party on several occasions.

Earlier on Saturday, the Congress appointed the chiefs of the District Congress Committees of the Kerala unit of the party.

PK Faisal has been appointed as the president of the Kasargod district unit, Martin George as the chief of Kannur unit while ND Appachan will lead the Wayanad district unit of Congress, B Babu Prasad will be leading the Alappuzha district unit.