The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Monday appeared to have backed the party’s State leadership for now amid raucous demands for drastic changes at the helm. AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Tariq Anwar, gave the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) a backhanded compliment by remarking that the party had fared better in the recent local body polls than in 2015.
However, the results fell short of what the party projected and perhaps district congress committees (DCC) might have to share a larger part of the blame. The AICC seemed in tandem with KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
The top leaders had earned criticism for ‘making light’ of the debacle by stating that the party had increased its share of local body seats in 2020. Their words triggered a public war of words and constant demands for a leadership change. Party groups touted K. Sudhakaran and K. Muraleedharan as potential KPCC presidents and launched poster campaigns.
Code of silence
Mr. Anwar sought to end the blame game targeting individual leaders for the poor showing. He stressed collective responsibility and urged party members to follow a code of silence in public about intra-party affairs.
Mr. Anwar also met coalition leaders. They reportedly gave him a rundown on the fighting fitness of the United Democratic Front (UDF). The UDF district level set-up was moribund. Coalition partners rarely met.
DCCs failed to bring alliance partners on board. They delayed the announcement of candidates. Group equations and not winnability factor influenced candidate selection. Congress could not get powerful social groupings on its side. Infighting hobbled campaigning.
More youngsters likely
Candidates, particularly women, lacked financial and organisational support. Overt alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami in north Kerala drove voters away from the UDF in south and central parts of the State.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) reportedly stayed clear of the leadership question in the Congress. By one account, the UDF might apportion at least ‘60% of seats’ to youngsters to improve the party’s electoral profile. Mr. Anwar would forward a summary of his meetings to the AICC for further deliberation.
