Not interested in continuing in post, says Congress Kerala chief
Thiruvananthapuram, May 29: Owing responsibility for the Congress-led UDF's drubbing in the Kerala Assembly elections, Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Mullappally Ramachandran said on Saturday he was not interested in continuing in the post.
Talking to reporters here, Ramachandran said after the UDF defeat in the polls, he has given a detailed report to Sonia Gandhi narrating all matters related to the elections.
"In that report, I have informed the Congress president that I am not interested in continuing in the post of KPCC president," he said.
Ramachandran said he would continue in the post till an alternative arrangement is made.
Asked about his absence in the first UDF meeting held after the assembly elections on Friday, the senior Congress leader said attending the meeting as KPCC chief was not morally correct since he has requested Sonia Gandhi to accept his resignation from the post.
Ramachandran said as the PCC chief he had received full cooperation from Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi.
"But I am saddened by the electoral defeat of the party. So I am taking the responsibility for the party's defeat," he said, adding that he has no intention to put the blame on anyone else.
It was reported that the eight-time Parliamentarian has conveyed his willingness to quit but the party leadership in New Delhi asked him to continue till the selection of the new president.
His move came days after the All India Congress Committee nominated senior leader V D Satheesan as the parliamentary party leader in the Assembly, replacing Ramesh Chennithala who had led the party for the last five years in the House.
Speculation was rife that after the Leader of the Opposition, the KPCC chief would also be changed as the national leadership was eyeing a total revamp of the party's state unit from the grassroot level.
After the Congress-led-UDF had to settle for just 41 seats of the total 140 in the April 6 Assembly polls, a group of leaders and workers, especially members of the Youth Congress, have been pressing for a complete makeover of the party's leadership structure in the state.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
