Kerala: Congress looks to regain secular face

Thiruvananthapuram: Blamed for yielding to the IUML’s pressure tactics and hence upsetting the communal equation, the Congress is gearing up for an image makeover by maintaining a communal balance while revamping its various block, district and state committees.

The leadership, that has been under criticism from the majority communities over the allotment of the fifth ministerial berth, is for giving due recognition to the latter in its various committees. Moreover, there was criticism within the party that the majority community had shown their displeasure against the party in the Neyyatinkara byelection, where the Congress could have gained a bigger majority.

A KPCC general secretary belonging to the I group said that the Congress can only pacify the majority by giving them due recognition in the organisation. “The party wants to maintain its secular face, which has been lost in recent times by yielding to the IUML,” he said.

Another executive member of the KPCC said that talks have started in some quarters in this direction. “There is criticism that all the government posts are filled by minority communities. All that the leadership now wants is to save the party’s image that has taken a beating,” he said.

However, there are several leaders who are against such a move. They want the reorganisation to be done on a merit-oriented basis. Former KPCC president K Muraleedharan said that eminent persons should be selected in various committees. However, he said that communal equations would also be generally taken into account while revamping the committees. “Along with the ability of a person, the communal equations should also have to be addressed,” he said. Senior leader V M Sudheeran also maintained that the reorganisation should be based only on merit. “I am not for the group sharing process in the committees,” he said.

Though the leadership is for making a smart move in this direction, the leaders have almost decided their representatives in the committees, which is going to be a bone of contention. Most of the leaders have already started silent but open campaigns in this regard. “It remains to be seen if the leadership would be able to go ahead by maintaining a balanced approach with regard to the communal equation,” a prominent A group member said.