Kasaragod

Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan on Saturday criticised public demonstrations by supporters of chief ministerial aspirants in Kerala, calling acts such as the destruction of flex boards of senior leaders “divisive tactics” that violate party discipline.

Breaking his silence on the ongoing leadership debate within the Indian National Congress, Unnithan said senior leaders K C Venugopal, V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala were all qualified to stake claim to the chief minister’s post, and their supporters were free to express support—but only within the framework of party discipline.

He said the eventual choice of chief minister should not be viewed as the Congress party’s decision alone, stressing that all constituents of the United Democratic Front (UDF), including the Indian Union Muslim League, Kerala Congress and Revolutionary Socialist Party, have the right to express their views.

Unnithan also strongly objected to recent remarks made by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, who had suggested that the IUML should not interfere in Congress’s internal matters.

The MP said such comments reflected intolerance and ignored the role of alliance partners who contributed to the UDF’s electoral success.

“In team UDF, every constituent has a voice. No MP or MLA can say the League has no right to comment,” he said.

Referring to the recent vandalism of a flex board featuring K C Venugopal and late former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Unnithan questioned why senior party leaders had remained silent.

He said those responsible for destroying the display could not be seen as genuine Congress workers.

Unnithan further claimed that several party leaders and legislators were currently in New Delhi lobbying for ministerial positions and organisational posts, including the position of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief, as current KPCC president Sunny Joseph is expected to join the cabinet.

He also mocked competing claims by factions supporting Venugopal, Satheesan and Chennithala over the number of MLAs backing each camp, saying the figures being quoted made it appear as if Congress had 100 legislators instead of 63.

Calling for restraint, Unnithan urged party workers and leaders to wait for the final decision of the Congress high command and avoid public demonstrations that could deepen internal divisions.

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Satheesan, Chennithala and Sunny Joseph reached New Delhi on Friday night for consultations with the party leadership on government formation and the leadership issue.