The Kerala unit of the Congress appears to be on the brink of a renewed bout of factional fighting that threatens to further divide the arguably beleaguered party as it forged ahead with the troublesome reorganisation process.
Speculation was rife on Sunday that the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the trade union wing of the Congress, had asked the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to make its position clear on Mr. Satheesan's controversial remark about the union.
Compelled to distance the Congress from strike-related violence, Mr. Satheesan had said that the INTUC was the Congress's feeder organisation. Later, Mr. Satheesan clarified that the INTUC played a different political role and was neither the "Mahila Congress nor the Seva Dal". Most Congress leaders had an INTUC background.
Nevertheless, the comment provoked INTUC workers who demonstrated against Mr. Satheesan at Changanassery. Mr. Satheesan alleged that the demonstrators were party to a plot to weaken the Congress leadership. He urged the KPCC to punish the "mutineers."
Meanwhile, there was an unconfirmed report that the INTUC had complained against Mr. Satheesan to the KPCC. The grapevine had it that the INTUC district presidents had lambasted Mr. Satheesan in an online meeting chaired by State president R. Chandrasekharan.
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran was yet to reveal his mind on the matter publicly. Top factional leaders of the A and I groups were also silent.
Intra-party plot
However, Mr. Satheesan has seen an intra-party plot against the leadership. He told a television channel that the Congress was wise to the tricks of the disruptive cabal, and the party would draw the rein.
Some insiders viewed Mr. Satheesan's insinuation as a reflection of the ongoing tussle between an emergent group led by the Leader of the Opposition and the I-faction purportedly led by Ramesh Chennithala. Others alleged that the INTUC had the tacit support of Mr. Sudhakaran. Both claims remained in the realm of rumour.
Party’s bane
Factional struggles, the traditional evil of Congress politics in Kerala, was generally blamed for the party's poor show in the previous Assembly polls. It could also weaken Congress's campaign against the ruling front on K-Rail and liquor policy.
