By IANS,
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked the party unit in Kerala and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to keep the party legislators together in view of the narrow victory margin the United Democratic Front (UDF) has in the state, party sources said.
Gandhi’s reminder comes amidst voices of discontent by some Congressmen about the composition of the new ministry in the state.
“Gandhi gave the instruction of unity to state president Ramesh Chennithala who met her here Tuesday. The party’s central leaders are in regular touch with Chennithala and Chandy to block any attempt of the revival of factionalism,” a party leader told IANS Wednesday.
Chennithala also met party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, party in-charge of Kerala Madhusudan Mistry and other leaders in Delhi.
The UDF has a wafer thin majority with only 72 seats in the 140-member assembly. The opposition Left Democratic Front has 68 seats.
There have been reports of simmering discontent in a section of the party over the formation of the state ministry.
V.M. Sudheeran, a former MP, complained that “V.D. Satheesan, a well-deserving leader” has not been included in the ministry.
K. Muraleedharan, former state unit president and son of veteran leader K. Karunakaran, has also alleged that some leaders worked hard to keep him out of the government.