Thrissur infighting: KPCC likely to take strict action

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KPCC president K Sudhakaran and opposition leader V D Satheesan have asserted that stern action will be taken following reports of gross indiscipline in the party’s Thrissur district unit.
Meanwhile, Thrissur district Congress committee president Jose Vallur reached the national capital after being summoned to provide a detailed explanation about the incidents that occurred following K Muraleedharan’s defeat.He is learnt to have met AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and also the senior leaders from the state. He also presented the visuals of the incidents that have occurred in the Thrissur DCC office, where on Friday evening, an open fight took place between the supporters of Muraleedharan and the DCC president.
Upset KPCC chief may replace district brass with a fresh team
The KPCC president and the opposition leader, currently in New Delhi for the Congress Working Committee meeting, are likely to discuss the Thrissur situation with Venugopal later tonight, party sources said.
Upset with the developments in Thrissur, Sudhakaran is of the view that the entire leadership should be removed and a fresh team should take charge of the party affairs in the district as soon as possible as bypoll to the Chelakkara assembly seat in the district is imminent, with the sitting MLA K Radhakrishnan winning from the Alathur seat in the Lok Sabha polls, sources said.
The party’s state leadership has taken Muraleedharan’s defeat very seriously and AICC is also disappointed with it, sources said. Weak organisational structure and infighting within the party unit are said to be the main reasons behind the defeat. There are reports that several senior leaders in the district did not effectively participate in the election campaign. The state leadership has already spoken to Muraleedharan and assured him of strict action against these leaders. The leadership is concerned that if action is delayed, Muraleedharan might go public and name these leaders, causing further damage to the party. The state leadership is aiming for a prompt damage control exercise, sources added.