KPCC president fumes as miffed leaders turn reluctant campaigners

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Internal squabbles are nothing new to the Congress. Every election season, group wars intensify and the lack of unity had cost the party dearly in several seats in the past. However, things look different this time after the seat sharing talks. Entry of AICC president Rahul Gandhi in the fray from Wayanad was a clear message to party cadres to stop all bickering and work together for a clean sweep.


But reports from at least three constituencies paint a different picture. The

KPCC

leadership has swung into action for settling issues, which are more local in nature in these constituencies.

Sources in the party said V K Sreekandan (Palakkad), M K Raghavan (Kozhikode) and Shashi Tharoor (Thiruleaders and has made it clear that those leaders who are not active in the campaign will have to face dire consequences.

M K Raghavan had complained to the

KPCC president

that particularly after the sting operation made by a television channel, he was not getting the support of the party and it has reflected in the campaign. He said most of the leaders from Kozhikode have now migrated to Wayanad vananthapuram) have complained to the KPCC president that they are not getting enough support from the party during the campaign.

It is learnt that KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran had a meeting with the district leaders of Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Kozhikode following the complaint raised by the candidates. The KPCC president fumed at the to campaign for AICC president Rahul Gandhi. Raghavan is also upset that DCC leaders, including its president T Siddique, are camping in Wayanad. The KPCC president, who had a meeting with Raghavan in Kozhikode, assured him that the party will be in full gear for his campaign.

Mullappally rushed to Palakkad on Tuesday to hold talks with DCC leaders. V K Sreekandan alleged that senior leaders, including Shafi Parambil MLA, are concentrating their work in the Alathur constituency, side-lining Palakkad, where the BJP is also a strong force.

There are also reports that the ‘A’ group was not happy with Sreekandan candidature. According to reports, Sreekandan is lagging in the campaign. Mullappally has now assigned the charge of each assembly segments to senior leaders.

Shashi Tharoor, who is seeking a third term from Thiruvananthapuram, is also not in the good books of senior district leaders. Since he was directly assigned by the party high command to contest from Thiruvananthapuram in 2009, many of them who had been eyeing the seat, were not ready to get along with Tharoor. Their indifference has reflected once again in the campaign as many of them who were given charge of the campaign have gone missing.

A district leader had to openly come out against the attitude of certain leaders, which had sparked a debate in the party last week. The KPCC president is learnt to have personally spoken to two senior leaders of the district, who are in charge of Tharoor’s campaign. Sources said the KPCC president warned the district leaders that they were under high command’s close watch.