Chandrababu Naidu hails caste census decision

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 23 (IANS) Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran on Sunday slammed party leader and Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor for criticising the party in the media.

Responding to Tharoor’s recent interview in National English daily, where he criticized both the state and central leadership of the Congress, Sudhakaran stated that such remarks should have been made within party forums rather than in public.

Speaking to reporters, Sudhakaran emphasized that as a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Tharoor should remain within party discipline. “He holds a key position in the party and has the opportunity to influence change from within. Open criticism does not help the party,” he said.

Despite his disapproval of Tharoor’s approach, Sudhakaran reaffirmed his support for the senior leader. “I have always stood by Tharoor, and I will continue to do so,” he said, adding that he had attempted to contact Tharoor but was unsuccessful.

He expressed confidence that Tharoor would not leave the party despite his critical remarks.

Sudhakaran also noted that Tharoor’s statements were likely meant to strengthen the party. “As KPCC president, I will do my best to address any concerns and bring necessary corrections to the party’s functioning,” he assured.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala addressed Tharoor’s remarks, which pointed to a leadership crisis in the Kerala unit of the Congress and hinted at having alternative options.

Chennithala clarified that Tharoor’s statements were made before his recent discussions with Rahul Gandhi.

This comes after speculation that Tharoor was dissatisfied with his meeting with the Congress leader. Recalling Tharoor’s induction into the party, Chennithala stated, “It is true that I invited Tharoor to join the Congress after his tenure at the United Nations. I even suggested he contest from Palakkad. I believed having him in the party would be beneficial.”

He further mentioned that Tharoor was invited to a KPCC plenary session in Ernakulam, where he was seated on the dais alongside Sonia Gandhi, marking his formal entry into the party.

“Since then, he has been given significant roles, including serving as a Union Minister and being fielded as an MP four times,” Chennithala added. However, he refrained from commenting further on the controversy surrounding Tharoor’s remarks.

CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan said the Congress leader himself had acknowledged the likelihood of the Left Front returning to power in Kerala for a third consecutive term. He attributed this to the Left government’s people-centric policies and favourable investment environment.

A senior Congress leader, speaking anonymously, admitted that while Tharoor’s observations were valid, they should not have been aired publicly. “Unless the state and central leadership address these concerns, Congress cannot expect to win the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections,” he cautioned.

–IANS

aal/dpb

Kolkata, April 20 (IANS) BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee, calling her the “most incompetent” Chief Minister in the history of West Bengal and alleging that the state has suffered the most under her leadership.

Backing fellow BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty’s call for the imposition of President’s Rule in West Bengal, Ghosh echoed concerns over the law and order situation and stressed the need for military deployment to restore public safety.

Chakraborty, while speaking to IANS earlier, had said, “If this (violence) continues, then definitely President’s Rule should be imposed, as soon as possible. I’ve requested it many times… At least keep the military in for two months during the elections; if they stay, the election will be fair.”

Reacting to this, Ghosh told IANS, “Keeping the current situation in mind, many people feel that Mamata Banerjee is unable to handle Bengal. Without President’s Rule, people’s lives and property wouldn’t be safe, and there would be no real change in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee’s preparation to win elections using goons and weapons is extremely dangerous for the state.”

He added that the Chief Minister has consistently failed to take responsibility for any crisis and accused her of diverting blame.

“She does no work, cannot handle anything, and blames others when things go wrong. Now, people have realised that she lacks the ability to speak the truth. Mamata Banerjee is the most incompetent Chief Minister of Bengal, and the state suffered the worst during her tenure,” he said.

Ghosh further said that in the midst of the unrest, it is the RSS and BJP workers who are actively helping people on the ground.

“Today, it is RSS and BJP workers who are out there serving the homeless, putting their lives on the line. Mamata Banerjee has done nothing. Reporters are not being allowed to enter the affected areas. Why is it being done? Why doesn’t the police arrest the miscreants? Whenever there is violence, the police are nowhere to be seen; the police are under the state government,” he alleged.

He also stated that people no longer have faith in Mamata Banerjee’s administration.

“People are demanding BSF deployment because no one trusts Mamata Banerjee now,” Ghosh said.

–IANS

sd/

New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) effected a major overhaul in the party’s organisational structure on Friday, replacing incumbent Delhi unit chief Gopal Rai with Saurabh Bharadwaj and moving the former to Gujarat.

The big shake-up and re-structuring of the party’s state chiefs and in-charges come in the wake of AAP’s debacle in Delhi Assembly polls. The decision to reallocate the party’s top leaders to states like Punjab, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh was taken at the Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC), the highest decision-making body of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

The party has announced new party chiefs in two states and in-charges in four states.

Gopal Rai will be the party’s in-charge for Gujarat while Durgesh Pathak will serve in the capacity of co-convenor.

Sandeep Pathak has been given charge of Chhattisgarh while Mehraj Mallik has been made Jammu and Kashmir chief.

Among the most noticeable changes is former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia being moved to Punjab, to strengthen the party’s base and keep its only citadel from falling.

Manish Sisodia, being the closest aide of Arvind Kejriwal is likely to work closely with the party’s state convenors and office-bearers to implement AAP supremo’s views and goals in the state. He will also keep watch on the Punjab government’s poll promises and their implementation. Lately, the Bhagwant Mann government has been under fire for not fulfilling AAP’s poll promises.

Sisodia’s Punjab shift is also seen as a move to establish strong communication channels between the party’s Punjab unit and the central leadership in Delhi.

After losing the Delhi battleground, the AAP is eyeing its electoral chances in Gujarat and Goa, the two states where it managed to secure moderate vote percentage earlier.

In Gujarat, AAP won five seats in the last Assembly elections. Gopal Rai and Durgesh Pathak will reassess the ground connect in the state and prepare the party for the next Assembly elections in 2027.

In Goa, AAP has two legislators. Here also, AAP has maintained a vote share of above 5 per cent and will look to consolidate the public support further.

Sandeep Pathak, being shifted from Gujarat to Chhattisgarh assumes importance as he was instrumental in cultivating and drawing people’s support for AAP in the 2022 polls.

–IANS

mr/dpb