Kottayam: Mathew Kuzhalnadan MLA has acquired the status of a hero among Congress workers, party’s Kerala chief K Sudhakaran said on Wednesday. A few minutes before Sudhakaran made the statement during a press meet at the UDF’s election office at Pampady, the scenes one witness there almost proved what he said.

Mathew, the Muvattupuzha MLA who is leading a fight against CPM’s all-powerful Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over financial allegations against his daughter, reached the election office along with Sudhakaran and a few other Congress leaders. Soon the ‘hero worship’ that Sudhakarn would mention later was evident in the atmosphere. Party workers, mostly those at the lower ranks, tried to get a selfie clicked with the MLA. A woman activist who shook Mathew’s hands was heard saying, “we are standing on the strength of these hands.”

When Sudhakaran addressed the media, he did not hesitate to convey what he inferred from the behaviour of his party workers.

“Those in the party are looking up to Mathew with a sense of hero worship. How many of us have the spine to challenge Pinarayi like he does,” Sudhakaran said. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief announced full support of the party to Mathew’s fight against the CPM’s numero uno in Kerala.

“On the one side there is the chief minister who has kept mum when allegations were raised against him and his daughter. On the other side we have Mathew Kuzhalnadan who showed the spine to respond to the charges raised against him. The Congress is proud of him,” Sudhakaran said, having Kuzhalnadan on his side.

The KPCC president, however, tried to brush aside questions on the apparent delay in announcing the party’s support to what almost looked like a lone-battle by the first-time MLA. The Congress-led UDF had stayed away from raising the issue involving the chief minister’s daughter in the assembly, but Kuzhalnadan dared to do so during a discussion on the Land Assignment Bill. Though he was then silenced by Speaker A N Shamseer, he did not give up. He raised the issue – pertaining to CM’s daughter Veena T receiving undue payments amounting to Rs 1.72 crore from a mineral firm over three years – in a series of press meets. In return, the CPM raised allegations of tax evasion and land rule violations against Kuzhalnadan and investigations have been started over the charges.

Asked about Congress leaders’ names – OC for Oommen Chandy and RC for Ramesh Chennithala – also being mentioned in the income tax department document which states Veena received payments due to political clout, Sudhakaran reiterated the party’s stance that leaders received money for party funds and there was nothing wrong in it. “Can any party function without collecting funds from the rich,” he asked.

Sudhakaran said Congress’ Chandy Oommen will record a historic win in the Puthuppally bypoll on September 5. He said the people of Puthuppally will not forget the Left front for the insults it showered on Oommen Chandy. He said the public anger against the corrupt government will also be converted into votes in favour of his party.