The state of Kerala is experiencing unrest in the Congress party after a recent organisational revamp. A faction of the party expressed displeasure over the manner in which the list of the new party block presidents was announced. The list for 11 districts was released by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) late on Friday night, while three more are still pending.
The factions within the party are being led by state party president K. Sudhakaran, Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.
Senior Congress leader Benny Behanan, a top leader within the A faction, said they were shocked to receive the list on WhatsApp, in the middle of the night, and without due consultation. He added that the new list was announced without the concurrence of Chandy.
Sudhakaran, who is a Lok Sabha member from Kannur, became the president of the party and caused a shift in alliances. The once erstwhile A and I factions now move together, while Satheesan and Sudhakaran move together. Sudhakaran and Satheesan have gained momentum since Chandy’s health deteriorated and the Chandy faction is feeling the brunt of the shake-up.
In the past two decades, Chandy’s A faction had the most supporters, outnumbering all other factions combined. Now, Behanan hints that if anyone takes his faction lightly, they will be mistaken. Behanan believes it does not augur well for the party to be lacking in unity during the current political climate.
