KPCC cracks whip on party workers feuding over government policy, postings

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has cracked the whip on party workers, chiefly spokespersons and media panellists, who use social and conventional media platforms to settle seemingly vexed in-house differences over the United Democratic Front (UDF) government’s policy priorities, including key postings and appointments. 

KPCC general secretary Deepthi Mary Varghese has issued a broad set of guidelines, cautioning party apparatchiks against airing broad-brush individualised statements on television talk shows and also social media, which risked feeding the public perception that the party was a divided house. Ms. Varghese has warned workers that any deviation from the party line would result in disciplinary action. 

A KPCC insider said the ultimatum capped a fortnight of fractious infighting within the party’s rank and file, with the party’s media panellists and cyber warriors skirmishing openly over Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan “cold-shouldering” Kerala Students Union (KSU) State president Aloshious Xavier at a public function in Kochi. 

The KSU had been at odds with Mr. Satheesan over the appointment of government pleaders, with some KSU leaders alleging that several appointees were lawyers with links to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. 

In contrast, Mr. Xavier was feted by KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran at a public function for having the “courage of conviction” to articulate the KSU’s position, with the rider that such opining should be within the party’s organisational ambit and not in public fora. 

The appointment of N. Seshadrinathan as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) also opened the arena for intra-party feuding, with the KPCC general secretary P.M. Niyas opposing the nomination in vain and accusing the former judicial officer of having links to the Sangh Parivar. 

Moreover, certain supposedly pro-Congress social media handles disparaged Mr. Satheesan for refusing to meet Mr. Niyaz while extending the courtesy of a personal audience to Hindu Aikya Vedi leaders K.P. Sasikala and R.V. Babu. 

The KPCC officer-bearer said the infighting has warranted an urgent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), chiefly because it has provided ammunition for the opposition to target the government, particularly Mr. Satheesan. 

Mr. Satheesan had lashed out at the KSU, stating that the students’ organisation could not dictate matters of government appointments. 

The Chief Minister’s Office has not issued any official clarification. However, sources close to Mr. Satheesan signalled that the CMO was surprised that Mr. Xavier had broached the matter in a controversial Facebook post before petitioning the government. Meanwhile, Mr. Xavier has sought an appointment with Mr. Satheesan, purportedly to clear the air.