Kerala Congress divided after party sacrifices RS seat for estranged ally

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress party has decided to forgo its Rajya Sabha seat and give it to its estranged ally Kerala Congress (Mani) thereby triggering a sharp reaction from within the party.

The move means that Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson P J Kurien will not get another term. It also marks the return of KC(M) to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala a year before the Lok Sabha polls.

The decision was reportedly taken after former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president M M Hassan held discussions with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi along with KC(M)’s Jose K Mani and Kunhalikutty.

However, the surprising move has faced objection from within the Congress party.

"This is truly disappointing, not only for me and fellow MLAs but also party workers on the ground. They feel this is an insult to their spirit. The decision was taken by some Kerala leaders at the top without a discussion in any party forum. The seat has gone to another political party which is not even a part of the Congress in Kerala right now. Kerala Congress (M) aligned with the CPM in the Kottayam local body and also attended the CPM plenary session," a report in NDTV quoted Congress lawmaker V T Balram as saying.

Even, former KPCC president V M Sudheeran slammed the move and said, “The Congress should have contested from the seat. That was the unanimous opinion of Congress workers. It cannot be seen as a move aimed at strengthening the alliance. The move will weaken the Congress and dampen the morale of workers. Nobody can accept this decision,” a report in The Indian Express said.

Meanwhile, Chandy called it a “one-time decision” and said that it should be considered as a special case. He added that it was for strengthening the UDF.

Three Rajya Sabha seats in Kerala, including the one held by Kurien, will fall vacant on July 1.

Among the three seats, the CPI(M)-led LDF is in a position to win two seats while the Congress-led alliance can win one. The election is on June 21.

Besides Kurien, KC(M)’s Joy Abraham and CPI(M)’s C P Narayanan are retiring.