Amid reports of change of leadership in the Kerala Congress, a section of the party leaders have come out in support of the continuance K Sudhakaran as chief of the state unit of the party.
Those who are in support of Sudhakaran’s continuance as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president argue that the party has been strong under his leadership during the past three and a half years.
Congress Working Committee member Sashi Tharoor strongly backed Sudhakaran’s leadership for the KPCC. “There is no meaning in the demand for change of the KPCC president as under Sudhakaran’s leadership, the party has secured significant victories and gained the upper hand,” he said.
Sudhakaran handled matters responsibly and the party performed very well under his leadership, including winning by-elections, he further said, adding, “Let him continue. Everyone should stand together with him.”
KPCC Vice-President VT Balram also expressed his support to Sudhakaran citing the excellent performance of the Congress and UDF in the Lok Sabha elections and the landslide victory in the three by-elections since he became president of the party.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also lent his support to Sudhakaran for his continuance.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan wanted a change in the leadership of the KPCC even though he did not make the demand publicly. However, in an online meeting of KPCC office bearers on Wednesday, he softened his stance and said he would work with Sudhakaran.
The open support for Sudhakaran came just a day before the Congress high command held a crucial meeting with its Kerala leaders on Friday in New Delhi.
Sudhakaran, who initially said he was ready to step down if the high command decided to do so, later changed his stance and said he had all the qualifications to continue as president of the KPCC.
Meanwhile, in a boost to Shashi Tharoor, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest constituent of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, on Wednesday, hailed the Thiruvananthapuram MP as a crowd-puller and an effective campaigner.
The IUML emphasised that Tharoor’s contributions would be valuable to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. “I believe he is still a Congressman. Tharoor is an effective campaigner and the UDF can utilise him. He is part of the UDF and the INDIA alliance. He is also a well-known politician in India. He is a crowd-puller,” Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said.
The IUML chief’s praise of Tharoor came at a time when senior leaders in his party are united against Tharoor for his praise for Prime Minister Modi and the LDF government’s industrial policy.