Former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran has reportedly resigned from the party’s political affairs committee (PAC).
Mr. Sudheeran was yet to articulate publicly why he has quit the KPCC’s apex decision-making body.
Of late, Mr. Sudheeran was critical of the ‘lack of consultation’ in the KPCC. He had rejected the neo-liberal economic policies of the Congress and demanded a return to Nehruvian socialism.
The report of Mr. Sudheeran stepping down as a PAC member had arguably come at an inopportune moment for the Congress.
A slew of resignations and defections to the CPI(M) had jolted the party. Its leadership reportedly felt threatened by Mr. Sudheeran’s stepping down from PAC when defections were in season.
Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan said he was ‘surprised and saddened.’
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran said there was no basis for the speculation that the party had kept Mr. Sudheeran out of the loop on organisational matters.
Mr. Sudheeran’s resignation also reportedly prompted a scramble to placate him. All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Kerala, Tariq Anwar, might intervene.
Mr. Sudheeran was for long the ethical face of Congress. He had made his mark as Speaker, Health Minister, MP and legislator. He also campaigned against environmental crimes, including black sand mining.
Mr. Sudheeran was credited with reintegrating K. Muraleedharan, MP, into the Congress after the latter’s break with the party in 2011.
Mr. Sudheeran had also come under sharp criticism from within the Congress for his inflexible stance on prohibition that had arguably precipitated the bar bribery case crisis that convulsed the Oommen Chandy government in 2015.
