By IANS,
New Delhi : Taking serious note of the unseemly public squabbles amongst its leaders in Kerala, the Congress Thursday warned that “discipline in the party should be maintained at all costs” and the focus should be on winning the assembly elections next year.
The intervention came a few days after state Congress leaders, including leader of opposition Oommen Chandy and union Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran, publicly endorsed senior party leader P.C. Chacko’s criticism against party’s state unit chief Ramesh Chennithala.
“There have been press reports about statements made by various leaders of KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) expressing opinion on the issue of organisation and other political matters.
“I’m of the firm view and have advised all Congress workers and office bearers of KPCC that every one should express his/her opinion only in party fora and refrain from going to press with their comments,” All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and party’s Kerala in-charge Mohsina Kidwai said.
“Discipline in the party should be maintained at all costs,” she added in a statement.
She also asked party leaders to strengthen the party and focus on winning the next state assembly elections due in 2011.
Chacko, who represents Thrissur in the Lok Sabha, had said recently that Chennithala should not function as party president as organisational polls were due to take place shortly. He had called Chennithala a leader “without even a dozen followers”.
Endorsing Chacko’s view, Chandy and Ramachandran said the MP’s remarks were not against the KPCC president.
Chennithala sought to downplay Chacko’s disparaging comments, but his supporters, Lok Sabha MPs K.C. Venugopal and K. Sudhakaran, criticised Chacko.
The spat has occurred in the backdrop of reports that the Congress leadership may opt for selection of new state unit office bearers through consultation to avoid elections in the faction-ridden party unit.