Thiruvananthapuram: The KPCC has received yet another blow on party revamp with the Kerala High Court sending notices to the party, including its Central Election Authority, and the Election Commission of India on a plea seeking organisational polls. Anil Thomas, Pathanamthitta DCC vice-president and former national secretary of Youth Congress, is the petitioner who cited the party constitution mandating secret ballot to form committees at all levels, including the Congress Working Committee, the topmost decision-making body.
The KPCC had conducted a membership campaign with much fanfare, But under pressure from group leaders, it decided to have consensus disregarding majority wishes, including Oommen Chandy, the most prominent Kerala leader. Alleging that the KPCC had not published the members' list after scrutiny Mr Thomas, who has no group loyalty, told DC that he was determined to fight for “clean politics”.
His counsel, Jacob P. Alex, said there was a larger issue if the court can intervene in the internal affairs of a political party. Since Supreme Court had ruled that Board of Control for Cricket in India is amenable to writ jurisdiction since it is discharging public functions, HC too can intervene in the Congress organisational elections. "On Tuesday, the counsel of ECI, Murali Purushothaman, accepted the court notice. Now the HC is waiting for the remaining respondents,” he told DC. “The writ petition raises many legal issues including the role of ECI vis-a-vis organisational polls of political parties."
