The 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.
This move comes after a fortnight of fractious infighting within the party’s rank and file, with the party’s media panellists and cyber warriors skirmishing openly over issues such as the appointment of government pleaders. The Kerala Students Union (KSU) had been at odds with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan over the appointment of lawyers with links to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
The KSU State president Aloshious Xavier was recently feted by KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran for articulating the KSU’s position, but was also cautioned to keep such opinions within the party’s organisational ambit. The appointment of N.
Seshadrinathan as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) also sparked intra-party feuding, with KPCC general secretary P.M. Niyas opposing the nomination and accusing the former judicial officer of having links to the Sangh Parivar. The infighting has prompted an urgent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), as it has provided ammunition for the opposition to target the government, particularly Mr. Satheesan.
The Chief Minister had earlier lashed out at the KSU, stating that the students’ organisation could not dictate matters of government appointments. Mr. Xavier has since sought an appointment with Mr. Satheesan to clear the air.
