THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The protests against the Congress decision to give the Rajya Sabha seat to the Kerala Congress (M) has rocked the party with Mr P.C. Chacko, AICC general secretary in-charge of New Delhi, reportedly stepping down from his post. However, the high command has made it clear that it will not reconsider the decision. Mr Chacko was one of the contenders for the seat. Sources in New Delhi told DC that Mr Chacko met Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday evening and expressed his displeasure over ignoring his claims. He has not been given the full charge of Delhi. Mr Chacko was unavailable for comments as he was on his way to Kerala.
“We are unaware of Chacko stepping down from the post in despair. He had reportedly told KPCC president M. M. Hassan that he had 95 percent chances of getting the RS seat. Chacko may have been disillusioned as juniors like K. C. Venugopal and Dipak Babaria have been given full charge as AICC general secretaries,” said a top Congress leader. The AICC has asked the KPCC leaders to explain to the party workers the reason behind the decision. The AICC would intervene if the situation spins out of control. Complaints have poured into the AICC office saying that the decision was taken by three leaders, Oommen Chandy, P. K. Kunhalikutty and Ramesh Chennithala, without discussions in the party forum.
There were demonstrations in different parts of the state. Black oil was thrown at the flex boards of Chandy in Alappuzha, Chavara in Kollam, Nattika in Thrissur and various other places. Chandy and Chennithala were burnt in effigy at Piravom and Moovattupuzha. The flex board was placed only a few days ago when Chandy was anointed as the AICC general secretary. Congress workers put the party flag of Muslim League atop the Malappuram DCC office. Muslim League national general secretary P. K. Kunhalikutty MP had played a crucial role in giving the seat to KC (M).
Mr K. V. Thomas MP said in Delhi that such a major move should have been discussed in the party first. Former Travancore Devaswom Board member Ajay Tharayil claimed that a major section of the Congress leaders would leave the party. Congress spokesperson Rajmohan Unnithan maintained that there was no point in criticizing Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party as the fault lay with the trio.
The lone woman leader in the Political Affairs Committee, Shanimol Usman, claimed that the PAC meeting on June 11 will end up in a slanging match between the leaders. KSU workers took out a protest march to Mr Ramesh Chennithala's official residence at Cantonment House and raised allegations against the three leaders who have pushed the party into a crisis situation.
Senior Congress leader M. K. Raghavan MP said in Palakkad that if the leaders lack confidence in themselves, they would succumb to others’ demands. “It is unfortunate that the leaders have to bow their heads before others,” he said. "The main issue being faced by the Congress party is that leaders do not speak out in the party forum but comment outside," he said. Congress leader Mathew Kuzhalnadan said that he had requested Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the decision as it had damaged the self-respect of 99 percent of Congress workers.
“Certain leaders with ulterior motives have sacrificed the party. I have talked to Rahul Gandhi. He appeared to have understood what I said,” he added. Mr M.V.S. Namboodiri, president of All-India Lawyers Congress, resigned the post in protest. He told reporters in Kochi that he had also quit the primary membership of Congress. A section of KSU and Youth Congress activists protested at Kalamasery against the leadership. Youth Congress men staged a sit-in before the Mahatma Gandhi statue near Rajendra Maidan in Ernakulam.
