Kochi: The recent remarks of V.D. Satheesan, MLA, on the reports of veteran Congress leaders in the district unit had taken money to oust Kochi mayor Soumini Jain point towards a generational change taking place in the district unit of the party.
During a recent DCC meeting, Mr Satheesan indirectly implicated senior-most leaders for allegedly taking money to replace Soumini Jain.
“Mr Satheesan, who is KPCC vice-president, is gradually emerging as the powerful and topmost leader in the district after the Lok Sabha elections,” DCC sources said. “Senior leaders K.V. Thomas, K Babu and Dominic Presentation are upset that they have been sidelined. With Hibi Eden’s expected victory in the Ernakulam Lok Sabha seat, the transition of leadership will be complete.”
It is Mr Satheesan who coordinated the UDF election campaign in the district while senior leaders were given no key roles. And it is the young leaders who actively managed the poll campaign, too.
The allegations against veteran leaders for taking money to replace the mayor with Corporation town planning committee chairperson Shainy Mathew tainted their image.
As the KPCC president had categorically made it clear that there hasn’t any deal for shifting the mayor, the senior leaders who allegedly brokered the deal are in a fix. In protest against the delay in replacing Ms. Jain, Ms Mathew has made open statement against the Congress district leadership.
“The old guard is upset as they are unable to come to terms with the reality that the young blood is slowly taking over the responsibility,” added the party sources.
