THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The youth brigade in the state Congress has succeeded in diverting the attention from the Chengannur setback by baying for the blood of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P.J. Kurien. The youth MLAs, Anil Akkara, Shafi Parambil, Hibi Eden and Roji. M. John, who have demanded that Mr Kurien should not be given a third term in the Rajya Sabha, have the blessings of their respective group leaders. Mr Anil Akkara, who threatened that he will not vote in the Rajya Sabha election if Mr Kurien is the candidate, is speaking up for his mentor, Mr V. M. Sudheeran. Mr Shafi Parambil is backed by former chief minister Oommen Chandy while Mr Hibi Eden and Mr Roji. M. John are the blue-eyed boys of Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala.
Mr V. T. Balram, Thrithala MLA and Mr Shafi Parambil, Palakkad MLA, had kicked up the controversy on the same day when the top brass of the Congress leadership owned up responsibility for the Chengannur debacle. Mr Balram, who is not attached to any group, and Mr Shafi, staunch ‘A’ group legislator, unleas-hed their wrath through Facebook posts against Mr Kurien, 77. Wadakka-ncherry MLA Anil Akkara went one step further by threatening to abstain from voting for Mr Kurien.
“All these youth MLAs, except Balram, baying for Kurien’s blood have been acting as per the directions of Chandy and Chennithala. They have in a way diverted the attention from the poll defeat. The KPCC leadership should have held a meeting to analyse the poll debacle,” a youth leader told DC. The political affairs committee will meet at Indira Bhavan on June 11 and the KPCC leadership on June 12. The youth MLAs have proposed the names of Ms Shanimol Usman, former AICC secretary in charge of the Youth Congress, Mr M. Liju, Alappuzha DCC president, and Mr Mathew Kuzhalnadan, president of the All- India Professional Congress, Kerala chapter, for the Rajya Sabha seat. However, the senior leaders feel that there are more eligible candidates available. The AICC leadership would take a decision this week.
