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Rumblings in Kerala Cong
Rumblings have begun in the Kerala unit of the Congress following its rout and it is the second rung of leadership that's raising its voice.
Rumblings have begun in the Kerala unit of the Congress following the party's rout in the general election that saw the opposition left parties win 18 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats from the state.
For once, it is neither Kerala Chief minister AK Antony or his bete noir K Karunakaran who are trading charges - the second rung of leadership has begun raising its voice.
Antony and Karunakaran were the "two main culprits" in the Congress rout and "they themselves have to work out something that would redeem the party immediately," opined Raj Mohan Unnithan and Saratchandra Prasad, former close aides of Karunakaran, almost in unison.
"It is high time Karunakaran quit politics because this time he has been the main person who destroyed the party by giving seats to his son and daughter," Prasad told reporters here Friday.
"Antony agreed to that because he felt that when they both decided to bury the hatchet, things would work in favour of the Congress party, but it didn't happen. If they fail to find a way out, then the Congress (central leadership) should intervene," Prasad maintained.
Party general secretary Ajay Tharayil said both Karunakaran and Antony should take moral responsibility for the defeat.
"They ditched (party president) Sonia Gandhi when she gave them a blank cheque to decide the candidates. The selection was done by them without taking into consideration other factors," said Tharayil.
Another secretary, Joseph Vazhakan, lashed out at both the leaders and said that for several decades, not a single new leader has emerged in the Kerala unit of the party.
"It is the same old faces that we see, a natural progression from the ranks has not happened. It is time the high command immediately intervened to take adequate measures. If not, discontentment in the party will spread like wildfire," said Vazhakan.
