Thiruvananthapuram : K Sudhakaran’s plan for party overhaul suffers setback at the very beginning with K Muraleedharan boycotting KPCC’s Political Affairs Committee meeting. Although the meeting was the first after K Sudhakaran became president, K Muraleedharan did not make his appearance despite being very much in town. Former KPCC presidents VM Sudheeran and MM Hassan had stayed out of a pre-meeting discussion Sudhakaran held with the party leaders. With leaders letting on their discontent openly thus, Sudhakaran's overhaul plan has hit brick wall.
The Political Affairs Committee decided to do away with jumbo committees and reducing KPCC office bearer numbers to 51. The scenario could mean all the DCC presidents face ouster. Oomen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala do not agree with Sudhakaran’s shrink plan. Sudhakaran and VD Satheeshan had initially proposed a cut-back to under 25 – a proposition Oomen Chandy and Chennithala jointly opposed. It was later revised to having 3 Vice Presidents, 15 General Secretaries and total strength to a maximum of 51.
Sudhakaran made it known at the very outset that staff proportions will not be group-based and anti-Sudhakaran folks view this as a strategy for wiping out veterans. Incidentally, leaders do not think much of Sudhakaran’s warning of action against violating party discipline.
Before the meeting, Satheeshan and Sudhakaran held discussions with Oomen Chandy, Chennithala and Mullappally – a talk-session that Muraleedharan, Sudheeran and Hassan were not invited to. Muraleedharan’s boycott of the Political Affairs Committee meeting is viewed as reaction to that exclusion. Muraleedharan is not opposed to the any decision and spoke over telephone, said Sudhakaran downplaying his absence.
