Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran on Thursday came out against the party's MPs making public remarks on contesting the elections.
Speaking at the executive committee meeting, Sudhakaran made clear that it was not acceptable for leaders to decide their candidature and issue statements regarding the same on public domains.
"It is not appropriate for leaders to themselves decide the post they will be contesting for and the constituency they would represent in the upcoming elections. The party collectively takes a call on such matters," said Sudhakaran.
He further asked what was the need for party committees if individuals themselves were to decide these things. "If you do not intend to contest the polls, there is no harm in revealing it. However, making public one's opinion on organisational matters would cause confusion in the party ranks," said Sudhakaran.
The KPCC president came out with his response after certain Congress leaders expressed their intention to not contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and instead focus on Kerala politics. The other day, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said that he would become an active force in state politics. MP T N Prathapan also stated that he is interested in contesting the 2026 Assembly polls.
With many MPs preparing to become active in the state, AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar said the trend was disturbing. "It is not right to clarify one's position in front of the media without discussing it first with the party leadership," stated Anwar.
The committee demanded that making public statements on organisational matters be banned.
The meeting also observed that with the Lok Sabha polls fast approaching, MPs declaring they are not interested in contesting will prove to be a setback for the Congress party.
