Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress in Kerala on Thursday said there is no ban on the state party leaders from appearing for television debates.
This comes following a directive from national spokesperson Randeep Singh Sujrewala that said no Congress leaders should appear in TV debates for a month.
State Congress chief Mullapally Ramachandran and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala both contacted the party high command, and were told that the ban does not apply for the southern state.
Out of the 20 Kerala Lok Sabha seats, Congress won 19, and party President Rahul Gandhi won by a record margin from the Wayanad constituency.
"The Indian National Congress has decided to not send spokespersons on television debates for a month," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a brief statement on Thursday. "All media channels/editors are requested to not place Congress representatives on their shows."
Party insiders said the move was aimed at avoiding embarrassing questions on television amid uncertainty over the continuation of Gandhi as the Congress chief after he had offered to resign at the meeting of the party's working committee last Saturday following the Lok Sabha poll debacle.
Gandhi is adamant on his decision to quit after the Congress won just 52 seats in the general election and its state governments facing an uncertain future.
