Thiruvananthapuram: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala have proved they cannot forego their respective factions.
Their group managers leaked names of those who found a place on the panel of high power committee being appointed by the AICC.
KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran too had held talks with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi earlier and gave his nominations, but they are yet to come out.
When Mr Gandhi told Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala categorically that the party revamping had to be kicked off in three months, they gave their list. Mr Chandy wanted to include Benny Behanan, P. C. Vishnunath, K. C. Joseph, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and M. M. Hassan under the ‘A’ group.
Mr Chennithala rooted for Bindu Krishna, K. Sudhakaran and Joseph Vazhakkan representing the ‘I’ group. Chennithala had conveniently avoided his former group leaders – K. Muraleedharan and V. D. Satheesan.
A prominent Congress leader told DC that both of them had proven once again that they are still the stakeholders in their respective groups.
“In a way, these two leaders have conveyed the message to their supporters that they still are in control of their factions. Unfortunately, these two leaders would never realise that the earth is slipping under their feet, and BJP is gaining strength,” said a prominent Congress leader.
It is reliably learnt that Mr Sudheeran had given his trusted lieutenants' names for the high power committee comprising of KPCC general secretaries K. P. Anil Kumar and P. M. Suresh Babu, spokesperson Rajmohan Unnithan and treasurer Johnson Abraham.
At the same time, it can be inferred that Mr Sudheeran too has come out with his own loyalists' names. Another top Congress leader quipped that majority of these leaders included in the panel from the three groups had tasted defeat in the Assembly elections and cannot be addressed them as senior leaders as the high power committee is meant to strengthen the party. But party leaders are confident that Mr Gandhi will include only those who have got credibility and proven mettle.
