After poll drubbing, knives are out in Kerala Congress

Many Congress leaders in north Kerala were keen to have an understanding with the Welfare Party so as not to get community votes divided but it did more damage than any good.

Fissures have started appearing in opposition Congress in Kerala after the drubbing in local body elections. Many leaders have openly questioned differences among top leaders, selection process of candidates and the party’s poll understanding with the Welfare Party, a political outfit of Jammat-e-Islami.

Officials count votes during of Kerala local body elections in Kozhikode. (PTI)

They said discreet arrangement with the Welfare Party angered many secular voters and a section of Christian believers who always stood with the party. Many Congress leaders in north Kerala were keen to have an understanding with the Welfare Party so as not to get community votes divided but it did more damage than any good.

Many bodies close to the Muslim League and Catholic outfits openly opposed liaison with the Jammat outfit but leaders ignored them. They said adding it gave enough ammunition to the ruling CPI(M) and the BJP.

“We want leaders who can work among the party rank and file and we don’t need leaders who always dictate and live in statements. The party failed to give a united look. We need drastic decisions to stem the tide,” said party working president K Sudhakaran, MP from Kannur. He said he will meet Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and explain reasons for the lacklustre performance of the party though the situation was quite conducive.

A strongman from Kannur, he managed the party’s slide in north Kerala to an extent. Among six corporations, the party had emerged victorious only in Kannur. Leaders like him feel that if the party failed to address some of the nagging problems it is bound to face another setback in April 2021 assembly elections. Posters have started appearing in many places in the state seeking action against top leaders.

“The exit of the Kerala Congress (Mani) at the eleventh hour created a big dent in central Travancore areas. The leadership failed to gauge its impact,” said party leader and former vice-chairman of Rajya Sabha PJ Kurian. Party MP from Kozhikode K Muralidharan also sought a major surgery in the party. “With just four months left for the assembly elections, the party will have to be reinvigorated,” he said. Many leaders said the selection of candidates was not transparent, and in some cases, the candidates were imposed on unhappy workers.

Some of the allies have also expressed serious apprehensions. “All factors were in our favour. The state has never seen such a discredited government still we failed to make use of them. The United Democratic Front (UDF) will have to do enough introspection,” said Shibu Baby John of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. The Muslim League, the second biggest partner in the UDF, said the lead party Congress will have to give a united look and its leaders will have to patch up their differences.

But in Delhi, party general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal, also hailing from the state, said some leaders can’t be held responsible for the setback. “It is a collective decision. One or two persons can’t be held responsible. We will discuss issues with the state unit,” he said. State president Mullapally Ramachandran said the party will discuss all reasons for debacle minutely.

In the fiercely-contested election, out of 941 panchayats, the LDF won 514 and UDF 375. Of 152 block panchayats, the LDF bagged 108 and UDF 44, while out of 86 municipalities, the UDF won 45 and LDF 35. LDF won five of total 6 corporations while Kochi threw a fractured verdict.