KOTTAYAM: The infighting in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over Pala Assembly seat appears to be escalating with factions led by A K Saseendran and T P Peethambaran convening separate meetings in Kottayam on Saturday. The developments have thrown out ample indications that the party is heading for a vertical split
While the followers of Saseendran organised a commemoration meeting of C H Haridas, former state president of the Youth Congress (S) at Kottayam Press Club hall, party district committee that owes allegiance to the faction led by Peethambaran and Mani C Kappan convened an election review meeting at the district committee office. However, both sides dismissed reports portraying these as factional meetings.
C H Haridas commemoration meeting was inaugurated by CPM district secretary V N Vasavan, which is considered as Saseendran faction’s attempt to reinforce its relations with the LDF. All the senior leaders of the Saseendran faction attended the meeting.
In the afternoon, the district committee organised a local body election review meeting in the presence of party state president Peethambaran Master. Though Mani C Kappan, MLA, arrived at the district committee office, he left the place before the meeting commenced. Meanwhile Saseendran faction leader T V Baby also attended the meeting as part of the attempt to prevent the rival faction taking the command in the district committee. Former state office-bearer P K Anandakuttan skipped both meetings.
To avoid confusion, Peethambaran said some leaders could not attend the meeting due to personal inconvenience.
‘Claiming seat for losing party a strange argument’
Toughening its stance after meeting the NCP national president, party state leadership has categorically made it clear that the party would contest from four seats, where they contested in the previous election. Speaking to reporters after a party meeting in Kottayam, NCP state president T P Peethambaran said that it was a strange argument that NCPs sitting seat should be handed over to a party, which lost the contest.