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Unrest brews in Kerala Cong, state unit rejects Sreenivasan Krishnan’s name for RS seat
Though many veterans like former minister K V Thomas staked his claim and met Sonia Gandhi last week the PCC arrived at a decision to send a young leader from the state.
Thiruvananthapuram:
The Congress high command’s move to nominate All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Sreenivasan Krishnan for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Kerala has triggered unrest in the state unit.
Upset, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) reportedly informed the party leadership that it can’t accept his nomination and insisted that a proposal from the state should be given prominence. PCC chief K Sudhakaran has informed the party leadership that he preferred a young leader. The state unit has suggested M Liju, former state chief of the Youth Congress and Alapuzha district president. Sudhakaran said in Delhi that a decision will be taken by Friday. Different factions in the state unit have rallied behind the PCC chief this time.
Though many veterans like former minister K V Thomas staked his claim and met Sonia Gandhi last week the PCC arrived at a decision to send a young leader from the state. There were also proposals to send a woman leader to the upper house -- many women leaders said the state sent a woman to the upper house almost five decades ago. But proposal on Sreenivasan Krishnan (58) has angered many leaders.
Close to the Gandhi family, the party high command suggested his name on Wednesday but the state unit expressed strong reservation and insisted for a young face. A native of Thrissur, Krishnan is the party secretary in-charge of Telangana.
“It seems the party is yet to learn from its mistakes. We will not allow nomination politics any more. Come what may, a leader from the state will go to the upper house, not the nominated one,” said a senior leader who did not want to be identified.
Meanwhile senior leader K Muraleedharan MP had written a letter to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi that who contested in the assembly and parliament election and lost should not be considered for the RS berth. Liju had unsuccessfully contested last two assembly elections.
Three RS seats fell vacant in the state last month. Going my assembly numbers the ruling front will have two and opposition one. The CPI(M) and CPI shared one each and announced their candidates_ P Santosh Kumar (CPI) and A A Rahim (CPIM). Congress leader A K Antony, CPI(M)’s K Somaprasad and Loktantric Janata Dal’s M V Shreyamskumar are outgoing members.
