Sudheeran attacks Chandy again

The anger in the Congress over the gifting away of a Rajya Sabha seat to Kerala Congress (Mani) continued on Wednesday, with former party president V.M. Sudheeran lashing out at former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for a third day in succession.

Addressing reporters for close to two hours, Sudheeran said that Chandy always took a stand which portrayed a sense of "cruel helplessness" and added that Chandy was the least happy when he (Sudheeran) became the party President in 2015.

"When I met him after I was named the President, his body language revealed everything. It has continued all through. I was treated with disdain by him even when he came to inaugurate two state-wide yatras," said Sudheeran.

He added that giving away the Rajya Sabha seat to K.M. Mani was a "Himalayan blunder".

Sudheeran was appointed the President by the Congress in 2015 as he was keeping away from active party politics since he was defeated in the 2004 Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency.

At that time Chandy was the Chief Minister (2011-16) and their relationship worsened ever since Sudheeran, with just six months left for the 2016 Assembly polls, went hammer and tongs against Chandy and his governance.

In 2017, Sudheeran surprised everyone by resigning as President citing ill health.

"I was shocked when Chandy and our leadership in the presence of then party President Sonia Gandhi decided to put on hold the clearance of the proposed Vizhinjam Port. But he arbitrarily gave the project to Adani Ports. This was a shocking decision," said Sudheeran.

Sudheeran added: "At yesterday's party leadership meeting, I was taken aback when two relatively junior party colleagues spoke against me. Such a thing has never happened and I know they took on me as they have the blessings of 'group managers' in our party.

"None can silence me by pointing the issue of indiscipline," he added.

Soon after Sudheeran ended his press meet, senior party legislator K.C. Joseph said: "It is a shame that a former state President of the party here is behaving like a nursery kid.

"Sudheeran's public utterances, which have been continuing for the past few days, are most demeaning, unwarranted and most painful as the party here is passing through a bit of troubled times. I do not wish to speak in the same manner that he did," said Joseph.

--IANS

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