By Shankar Raj*
Thiruvananthapuram: There is a deep undercurrent and turmoil in the Congress Party in Kerala as the high command reportedly plans to completely revamp the party and rebuild it from scratch.
The high command is only waiting for the Lok Sabha polls results and the accompanying dust to settle down before dismantling the party structure in Kerala to wipe out the various groups in the field.
Sniffing at the changes in the air, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran recently prepared a secret plan to revamp the district leadership. But he was firmly told to keep his plans aside.
For quite some time there has been a strong push for restructuring some of the District Congress Committees, particularly in Central and South Kerala.
Also read: Congress rift widens in Kerala
Despite Sudhakaran’s reinstatement as the KPCC president after some high drama, his position could be at risk, if the UDF fails to achieve the expected results in the Lok Sabha elections. Both Sudhakaran and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan will be held accountable if the poll results are not favourable.
Satheesan’s authoritarian leadership style has displeased many party members. “Satheesan’s lack of respect for senior leaders was evident in his interactions,” a senior Congress leader was quoted in the media.
However, sidelining or changing Sudhakaran would not be easy. The Christian community, especially the Roman Catholics, wants a member from their community to head the Congress. After the demise of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the retirement of AK Antony, the Christian community is not properly represented.
But this move has led leaders who support Sudhakaran to warn about a possible backlash in south and central Kerala where Ezhava and non-Catholics play a key role in electoral politics.
The Congress leadership often ignored the interplay of non-Catholic factors. “After the demise of Chandy, there were no leaders from the Orthodox Christian Community in Congress,” a senior leader said.
“The Congress should try to bring in more non-Catholic leaders to its leadership. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) made Veena George, who is from the Malankara Orthodox Christian community, a minister thus reducing the distance between the Communist Party of India – Marxist and the community,” he said.
*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
