UDF convener Adoor Prakash met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi on Monday to complain about Chief Minister V D Satheesan. Prakash alleged that Satheesan took major decisions unilaterally without consulting the UDF. As the Congress rift deepens, party leaders now plan to hold talks to settle the issue.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Days after he publicly accused Chief Minister V D Satheesan of taking major decisions unilaterally, UDF convener Adoor Prakash has taken his fight to the Congress high command. On Monday, Prakash met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi and handed over a written complaint.
The complaint reportedly highlights the lack of coordination between the government and the UDF. It also lists the decisions Satheesan allegedly took without discussions in the UDF. Prakash, however, did not reveal details of the complaint to mediapersons who met him afterwards. Asked whether he submitted the complaint, Prakash only said "yes".
Prakash also met AICC general secretary Deepa Dasmunsi on Monday, and he is likely to meet Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday. KPCC president Sunny Joseph met Kharge too. On Tuesday, Satheesan will also be in Delhi to attend the GST Council meeting. With the three state leaders in the national capital, the AICC is likely to hold conciliatory talks. AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal had earlier said that the party leadership would step in to settle the issue.
Dasmunsi, meanwhile, played down Prakash's move, saying it was not a complaint against the CM.
It's good for the party, individuals to avoid public responses, says Sunny
"How can there be a complaint against the CM, when he is our UDF CM? There is no complaint," she told reporters in New Delhi.
"There was no meeting (in the UDF) and that is what he expressed," she said. She said the Congress has a system for working with its allies. "There are certain issues to be addressed in the UDF. The UDF meeting has not happened. So we are doing it in a day or two," she said.
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Asked about Prakash's allegation of lack of consultation, she said: "That is his opinion. But we do feel there are certain issues we have to take up in our own party forum. We will discuss them and clear them."
Prakash had faced severe criticism from some senior party colleagues for going public against Satheesan last week. During a press conference he convened at the KPCC headquarters, he had alleged a lack of coordination between the government and the UDF.
With public statements by Prakash and Mahila Congress president Jebi Mather triggering a debate within the Congress, Sunny Joseph on Monday said responding publicly on internal issues could do more harm than good. He urged party leaders to avoid making such statements.
"It is good for the party as well as individuals to avoid public responses," Sunny told reporters in Delhi. On a query on Prakash meeting AICC leaders, Sunny said: "He (Adoor Prakash) is an MP and the UDF convener. He has all rights to come to Delhi and meet the party leadership. I am not complaining about anyone. If the leadership asks me about the situation in Kerala, I will respond. The leadership will look into the complaints."
Jebi had on Friday openly demanded that a KPCC executive committee meeting be convened at the earliest to discuss their concerns and demands.
Jebi had been reportedly facing cyber attacks after she supported Prakash following his remark that key decisions were being taken by the state government without consultation.