Apprehending that the intense group activity seen during the lok Sabha election, for which polling was held in Kerala on April 10, could have affected the prospects of candidates of the party and the UDF it leads, the State Congress has begun cracking down on party functionaries who had worked - indirectly as well as deliberately - against Congress and UDF candidates.
Top Congress leaders who had done a preliminary review of the polling pattern and the Kerala Police’s Intelligence wing have found that group activity within the party — and also rivalry among UDF constituents — could have led to massive erosion in the front’s votes in the lok Sabha election.
The Congress has realised that such a situation had existed during polls just when the top leaders were expecting the party and the UDF to register an impressive victory in the context of what they were describing as a new-found unity within the otherwise groupism-ridden party after the appointment of group-neutral leader VM Sudheeran as the State chief in February.
Sudheeran has already instructed the Congress’s district presidents to hand over to him lists of party workers and leaders who had worked against candidates of the party and the UDF in their respective districts. He has authorised the district party chiefs to expel if necessary the office-bearers in the constituency and block levels who had indulged in factional activities.
The Kerala Police’s Special Branch has found that Congress workers had remained impassive in campaign in Chalakkudy, Thrissur, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Kannur, where partymen had contested for the UDF, as part of the group rivalries in the party. Senior Congress leaders say that this might even lead to the party candidates’ defeat in Thrissur, Idukki and Kannur.
It is said that the ‘I’ group in the Congress led by State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala was not active in three Assembly segments of the Chalakkudy lok Sabha constituency where PC Chacko was the UDF candidate. However, the leadership thinks that Chacko’s religious background may help him survive this negative development.
But party candidate KP Dhanapalan had no such advantage in Thrissur. The ‘I’ group had refused to work for Dhanapalan, as he belonged to the ‘A’ group led by CM Oommen Chandy. Apart from this, the ire of the voters against Chacko, the sitting MP, in Thrissur could have worked against Dhanapalan, also known as a loyalist of AK Antony, it is said.
In Idukki, the ‘I’ group is said to have sided with lDF-supported Independent candidate Joice George, who was actually fielded by the Catholic Church, with the intention of defeating Congress candidate Dean Kuriakose, the State Youth Congress president known for his loyalty to Chandy. (Front partner Kerala Congress (M) also is said to have worked against Dean).
In Pathanamthitta, allegations of groupism-triggered betrayal have already led to the expulsion of two leaders. The Congress party has found that a large section of party workers and leaders had worked for lDF’s Independent candidate Peelipose Thomas, who was perhaps the top-most leader of the Congress in Pathanamthitta district till some weeks before the polling date.
As per the instruction from State party chief Sudheeran to the district unit heads, action should be taken against partymen who had shown apathy for working for UDF candidates and who had worked against them with the intention of ensuring their defeat. This is the first time the Congress is taking action against those who had been apathetic in election work.