Congress heads likely to roll in Kerala

Heads could soon roll in the Congress in Kerala after an assessment of the party's Lok Sabha election performance and action against errant leaders.

Party sources said state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran this week asked all the 14 district presidents to submit a detailed report by Mondayof the general elections held April 10.

They have also been asked to include the names and list the activities of Congress leaders who worked against candidates fielded by the party or the supporting coalition, sources added.

Traditional rivals - the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front under the Communist Party of India-Marxist - slugged it out on 20 seats in the state.

In two constituencies, Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargode, it was a triangular contest, where the BJP too entered the electoral fray.

The assessment reports filed by district presidents will be discussed in detail at the meeting of the Congress state executive committee scheduled Tuesday.

"With Sudheeran at the helm of affairs, one can be sure that if anyone is found to have breached party discipline in the polls, they will be booted out of the party within 48 hours," said a Congress leader, requesting anonymity.

Sudheeran had warned of a crackdown ahead of the polls and even during the election campaign, threatening action against those working against the UDF candidates.

A leader in Pathanamthitta district has already been shown the door.

"Yes, we have found out that some leaders have not put in their best efforts and we have already informed our state president," said A.A. Shukoor, district president from Alappuzha.

There were reports of a woman leader not co-operating in Alappuzha, where the Congress fielded union Minister of State for Civil Aviation K.C. Venugopal.

Hit by factionalism, a rout in the 2006 assembly polls even forced the Congress to appoint a committee to study the electoral debacle.

But, though panel chairman Vakkom Purushothaman submitted the report, no action was taken at the time.

In the 2009 polls, the UDF won 16 and the LDF four seats.

With 74.04 per cent votes polled this time, both are flashing the victory sign.

The Left party has claimed it will win 14 seats after a high-level meeting held here Thursday. Meanwhile, Congress leaders have said before and after the election that the party will improve on its 2009 tally.