Meanwhile, the unprecedented unity the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee achieved over the Sudhakaran issue has made the ruling CPI(M) defensive.
File photo of KPCC chief K Sudhakaran. (ksudhakaraninc/Facebook)
After a brief lull over the strategies to be adopted to counter the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s continued targeting of its president and Lok Sabha member K Sudhakaran, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has evolved a strong facade of unity, keeping group rivalries at bay — at least for the time being.
The party has stated in unequivocal terms that it would not allow Sudhakaran to step down by bowing to the “vengeance politics” of the chief minister and the LDF leadership.
Subsequently, the grand old party is now preparing to launch a campaign across the state terming the arrest of Sudhakaran in the cheating case involving conman Monson Mavunkal a part of the bid by Chief Minister Vijayan to wreck the national-level alliance of parties — including the Congress and the Left parties — that is looking to unseat the BJP from power.
According to the Congress campaign managers, Vijayan is supposedly angry with the Congress for exposing the incompetence of the state government by unearthing its corruption and nepotism, and calling out its “fascist tendencies”.
They also claim that the chief minister was trying to derail the national-level understanding between the CPI(M) and the Congress by spreading rumours about the party and filing false cases against its state leaders to destroy their credibility.
Portraying Vijayan as an agent of the BJP who is hellbent on destroying the emerging secular alternative of the country by eliminating the Congress from Kerala, the grand old party is planning to hold public meetings in all Assembly constituencies in the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, the unprecedented unity the KPCC achieved over the Sudhakaran issue has made the put the CPI(M) on the defensive.
On Sunday, 25 June, CPI(M) central committee member AK Balan said its was factionalism within the Opposition Congress in the state was responsible for the current predicament of Sudhakaran, and not any conspiracy by the Left party or Vijayan.
Balan claimed neither the Left party nor Vijayan had any role in the Monson case. He alleged that it was Congress members who lodged the complaint against the KPCC chief.
He also claimed that a Youth Congress leader lodged a complaint with the Vigilance Department against alleged irregularities by the Leader of the Opposition in a house-construction initiative.
A major reason for the “deepening internal conflict” within the Congress was that each leader felt that he should be the next chief minister, Balan said in Thiruvananthapuram.
Balan’s statement indicates that the Congress campaign targeting Vijayan for Sudhakaran’s arrest was gaining traction, and the ruling party feels the need to fight it politically.
However, the Congress party is expecting to get the support of a large chunk of traditionally left electorate with secular convictions, which have a strong dislike for Vijayan’s “authoritarian style”.
“Vijayan has no agenda other than weakening the Congress. He is replicating in the state what Modi does at the national level. Why should Sudhakaran step down, while it is becoming clear to the people that the case registered against him was a politically motivated lie which is a result of the revenge politics of Vijayan? We have decided to fight the charges legally and politically,” Leader of Opposition of the state Assembly VD Satheesan told South First.
He also said the party and its alliance partners in the state would remain united in the fight to ensure justice for Sudhakaran.
According to a senior party leader, the developments in the case against Sudhakaran have are a blessing in disguise for the party, where large-scale disunity over organisational reconstitution emerged during the last fortnight of May.
Sudhakaran and Satheesan were targeted by top leaders — including Ramesh Chennithala and MM Hassan — for their alleged unilateral reconstitution of block-level committees and choosing of block presidents.
However, all leaders, including party veteran AK Antony and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, have shown solidarity with Sudhakaran.
The Kannur strongman now looks stronger, and there would not be any relook into the reconstitution of block committees in the changed context.
Meanwhile, the party had directed Sudhakaran to file a defamation case against CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan over his controversial statement accusing the Congress leader of being present when Mavunkal raped a minor — the daughter of one of the conman’s staff members — at his office.
As Govindan was repeating the charges made first by the CPI(M)’s Malayalam mouthpiece Deshabhimani, a similar case will also be filed against the newspaper. The party has already lodged a police complaint against Govindan.
The POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) Act allegation turned into a big reprieve for Sudhakaran, whose excuse that he met Mavunkal to treat his skin disease had become a poor defence.
The party struggled hard to defend Sudhakaran in the cheating case, as many felt it inappropriate for a leader like Sudhakaran to consult a quack.
Soon after the press conference in which Govindan had asserted that the Crime Branch would question Sudhakaranm in the POCSO case, the Crime Branch denied the allegation that Sudhakaran was present when the minor was raped.
There were few backers of Govindan in the CPI(M) though his remarks were based on a report that appeared in the Deshabhimani daily.
So, the Congress portrayed the allegation as a case of vindictive politics. Though he was implicated in the cheating case, Sudhakaran was released on bail per court orders.
The Kannur strongman had announced that he would move legally against Govindan soon after the latter made the shocking statement.
Though Sudhakaran expressed his readiness to step down as KPCC chief in the backdrop of the cheating case, the party turned down the proposal as a whole. Sudhakaran later clarified that he offered to resign as a damage-control measure.
People close to the leader said he contemplated resignation as he was anxious over the adverse impact that his arrest in the case would have on the Congress party.
However, once all sections of the party, including the high command, opposed the move, Sudhakaran decided to stay put and said the entire issue was a closed chapter.
Govindan, citing a report that appeared in Deshabhimani, had claimed on 18 June that the minor victim in the POCSO case told the Crime Branch that Sudhakaran was present at one of the locations where she was raped by Mavunkal. Therefore the special wing might question the KPCC leader.
Following Sudhakaran’s statement that he would file a defamation case against Govindan, the CPI(M) state secretary told reporters in Delhi that his statement was based on a news report and that he would face it legally.
The KPCC chief also said he would move a plea seeking to quash the cheating case against him.
“The developments have made Sudhakaran stronger. The ruling coalition helped Sudhakaran cement his position further within our party,” KPCC general secretary K Jayanath told South First.
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