Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 26 (PTI) A leaked phone conversation between Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) president Palode Ravi and a local party worker has caused turmoil within the Congress, with Ravi heard predicting a major setback for the party in the upcoming local body and assembly elections.
The conversation, aired by Malayalam TV channels on Saturday, features Ravi lamenting the party’s internal issues, including “groupism” and “selfishness” among local leaders.
In the call, he claims, “They are only interested in backstabbing each other, and no one is working among the people. Under such circumstances, the Congress will finish third in the local body elections and fall flat in the next assembly election.”
Ravi further warns that the BJP is targeting at least 60 assembly seats where they plan to distribute money and secure around 50,000 votes, potentially causing Congress to lose ground while the CPI(M) continues to dominate.
Reacting to the controversy, Ravi clarified that his comments were intended to “motivate” grassroots workers rather than demoralize them. “I don’t know how the call was leaked. Team UDF is united in its campaign, and I was only urging workers to rebuild the organisation and campaign harder,” he told reporters.
The leak comes at a sensitive time for the Congress, as the party leadership is projecting confidence that the United Democratic Front (UDF) will register a strong performance in the upcoming elections.
To prepare for the local body polls, the Congress has appointed senior leaders to oversee campaigns in major municipal corporations: Thiruvananthapuram will be handled by K Muraleedharan, Ernakulam by Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, and Kozhikode by Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala.
The local body elections are expected in December, while the Kerala Assembly elections are due in April next year.