The Youth Congress has blamed former Congress MLA K. Achuthan and his son and party’s district vice president Sumesh Achuthan for the failure of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the local body elections of the Chittur Thathamangalam municipality.
The UDF lost the municipality to the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the first time in 70 years.
Youth Congress leaders from Chittur said here on Friday that it was the wrongdoings of the Achuthans that reflected in the election results. They said that district Congress president V.K. Sreekandan, MP, could not be held responsible for the Chittur Thathamangalam debacle.
Youth Congress parliament committee president Shafeek Athikkad, district secretaries N. Jithesh and K. Priya, joint secretary M. Ratheesh Babu, and Perumatty parliament committee president Firos Khan, said the Achuthans had unilaterally decided the candidates by avoiding those with considerable influence among the voters.
“Efficient Youth Congress workers and people from the Dalit sections including former chairperson Sheeba were denied a ticket. The UDF system was destroyed by antagonising a prominent partner like the Indian Union Muslim League,” they said.
Sumesh Achuthan’s statements against the forward communities too had led to the UDF rout in Chittur, they said, demanding that he be expelled from the party.
They said they had sent a complaint against Mr. Sumesh to the Congress State leadership.
