Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 6 (IANS): After almost a week of a free for all and washing dirty linen in public in the Congress party in Kerala, State Congress president K. Sudhakaran on Monday said all the issues that were there in the open have been resolved and it's now a closed chapter.
Things went from bad to worse, when Sudhakaran last week wielded the sword of discipline against two top Congress leaders -- one a former two time legislator - K. Sivadasan Nair and the other, the outgoing organisational secretary -- K.P. Anil Kumar and the crime they did was they went hammer and tongs against the leadership of Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan -- (both new appointees to the posts which was directly made by the party high command, after throwing out the recommendations made by the seasoned veteran faction managers - Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala) after the list of 14 district party presidents was announced.
Hitherto, the general norm in the party in Kerala was, the faction managers sit down and share the posts and the list is approved by the high command, but this time it did not happen, even though Sudhakaran and Satheesan did hold one round of discussion with Chandy and Chennithala and after telling them they will continue with the discussions, the high command announced the list of 14 district party chiefs, much to the displeasure of the veterans.
And what followed was unseen in the party in recent times, when none other than Chandy and Chennithala went berserk against the new leadership, causing much hiccups within the party and sensing trouble, Sudhakaran and Satheesan went silent and soon the damage control exercise began.
Satheesan on Sunday arrived at the door step of Chandy and Chennithala and Sudhakaran who arrived in the state capital on Monday, held a closed door meeting with the two and emerging from the meeting Sudhakaran said, all issues have been resolved.
"Irrespective of whether they hold posts or not, they are senior leaders and they will always be taken into confidence. Whatever issues were there have been resolved and the chapter is closed and there need be no more discussions on that," said Sudhakaran.
Even though Sudhakaran and Satheesan tried to speak tough and muscle their way through the seasoned veterans, better sense prevailed, as they felt that both Chandy and Chennithala, though are only legislators, continue to have a strong ground support, they decided to seek the path of discussions, by way of personal one-on-one meeting and it was after that, things appeared to have cooled down.
Another reason why the duo of Sudhakaran and Satheesan decided to take the route of deliberations, was the allies of the Congress led UDF, especially the Indian Union Muslim League and the RSP expressed their displeasure that if things are not amicably sorted out, it might could well be trouble for the UDF, which was walloped in the April 6 assembly polls, when they were supremely confident that they will regain power.
RSP veteran and former State Minister Shibhu Baby John had sounded that the Congress is not just a sinking ship, but it was one where some are forcefully trying to sink it.
Satheesan soon after holding talks with the RSP top brass said that whatever difference of opinion was there have been solved and we have drawn a road map for how things should go forward and for that a short and long term plan has been drawn up.
RSP state secretary A.A. Azeez also expressed satisfaction on the outcome of the talks as it was held and issues resolved just before the leaders decided to commence the full fledged meeting of the entire top brass of the United Democratic Front.
However, one will have to wait a bit more to conclude, if things have cooled down in the Congress party, as discussions have commenced on selecting new office bearers to the state unit of the party and here too if the party high command does a fast one, then it's going to be a matter of time, when matters will be out in the streets, yet again.