Thiruvananthapuram: What would have ended in fitting finale for opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala’s Padayorukkam was punctuated by thunderous applause for rival leader Oommen Chandy, which some say was deliberate. But the jury is still out because the truth of the matter can be concealed in factional rivalries. Mr Chennithala ensured the participation of 170 leaders on the massive dais at the Central Stadium. But 'A' group, backed by scores of KSU and Youth Congress leaders, hurrahed Mr Chandy, off and on.
Besides sweating it out on the streets, Mr Chennithala incurred close to Rs 1.5 crore for expenses, including chartering a flight to bring in Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi. The 23-seater flight from New Delhi cost more than Rs 30 lakh. Mr Gandhi was accompanied by MPs Shashi Tharoor and K. C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and AICC in-charge P. C. Chacko on the return flight to New Delhi.
Once the programme started, KPCC vice president V. D. Satheesan, MLA, told UDF convener P. P. Thankachan to call out names of Padayorukkam rally leaders first. Just then Benny Behanan, prominent 'A' group leader, prodded Mr Thankachan to read out the name of Chandy, overheard on the microphone. KSU and Youth Congress leaders, who had come from Kollam, were sitting in the front row of the crowd and took up this opportunity to raise slogans in favour of Mr Chandy.
“The popularity of Chandy has soared ever since the solar scam findings were made public. The sympathy towards Chandy comes in the form of slogans these days,” said M. M. Hassan, KPCC president to DC. Usually it is the 'I' group who sweats it hard at political rallies, but at the end the 'A' group walks away with the pie. On Friday, KPCC leadership evaluated that Padayorukkam has been successful except the absence of former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran. A top leader quipped that his boycott affected only his image and the party has not lost anything.
