The Congress high command has called the party troika of Oommen Chandy, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran to New Delhi for talks on the post-election shake-up.
The troika has been asked to be present in Delhi on Saturday for talks in the presence of Congress Working Committee member A.K. Antony. The exercise has assumed significance in the light of the severe drubbing that the party received in the recent Assembly elections, getting its lowest number in the House in over four decades.
Mr. Sudheeran had, after meeting high command representatives, including AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi the other day, hinted about the possibilities of an overhaul of the party apparatus, mainly intended to infuse some life in the rank and file after the debilitating defeat. The revamp is unlikely to be confined to just overhauling the organisational set-up, but it might even focus on bringing in some kind of an ideological clarity and political repositioning in the context of the growth of the BJP in the State and the consolidation of the Left Democratic Front, particularly the Communist Party of India (Marxist), under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Panel appointed
The two-day KPCC camp has already appointed a committee headed by V.D. Satheeshan to formulate the policy perspectives and ideological inputs required for the proposed political re-positioning.
AICC sources said the party might consider setting up a larger powerful committee, a think tank of sorts that would strategise for the party and guide its functioning.
Shortly before the Assembly elections, the high command had entrusted the affairs of the party to the troika led by Mr. Chandy, Mr. Chennithala and Mr. Sudheeran. The elections were fought under the leadership of the troika.
However, in view of the major set back, the high command preferred to play it safe by not disturbing this set up, except for a rearrangement of jobs, with Mr. Chennithala taking over as Leader of the Opposition.
The party high command is expected to assign a role for Mr. Chandy though he has been reluctant to take up any tasks for the time being.
The proposal for a powerful think tank, comprising former leaders who have contributed at the State and national level, is being considered in the context of the electoral failure and the new challenges the party is going to face, as is evident from the Assembly results.
Revamping of party State unit to figure
in talks to be held
in the presence
of A.K. Antony.
