Senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran on Wednesday took over as president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee after a brief interval. The development is seen as an attempt to end the purported growing rift in the party in Kerala. According to the sources, several senior state leaders, including acting KPCC chief MM Hassan were against the decision to make Sudhakaran state party chief again.
However, Sudhakaran was given a warm welcome by his admirers at the party headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram by draping shawls and raising slogans.
Senior leaders, including Hassan, who was serving as the acting president of the KPCC in the absence of Sudhakaran, were absent when he came to take charge at the party office.
Earlier in the day, Sudhakaran visited veteran leader AK Antony at his residence before taking charge.
Sudhakaran had temporarily handed over the post to Hassan following his candidature from the Kannur constituency in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) had asked him to wait until the election results come out next month to resume charges as KPCC chief following an objection raised by a group of state leaders.
However, state and national leaders had rejected the reports and said Hassan was given the charge as part of a temporary arrangement.
While addressing a press conference after taking charges, Sudhakaran also dismissed media reports about the rift within the party over his comeback.
Replying to questions, he said he took over the charge as per the direction of the AICC.
When reporters asked about the absence of Hassan, he said the senior leader might have felt that his presence was not needed in the function.
"But I wished for his presence there," Sudhakaran said. When reporters asked whether there was any delay in getting him back to the post of KPCC chief, he said, "All these decisions are taken by the AICC."
"And it depends on each individual when they will hand over a post back," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
