Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Senior Congress leader V M Sudheeran continued to slam the party leadership on Sunday, a day after he voiced his concerns at a party forum after a two-year break.

Sudheeran, a former president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said factionalism has intensified in the party’s state unit and the current leadership, including PCC chief K Sudhakaran and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, has failed to deliver.

Sudheeran said earlier there were only two groups in the party while there are five factions now. “I’m not naming those who are leading them,” Sudheeran told media people in Thiruvananthapuram. He said he had great expectations when Sudhakaran and Satheesan took charge but all that has gone in vain.

“Had there been no factional feud, Congress could have achieved an impressive win in the previous assembly polls. The candidates were not decided based on merit and winnability. I was worried about it. There should have been an end to group politics and I had huge expectations when Sudhakaran and Satheesan took charge. I told them there should be consultations about the names proposed for district Congress leadership. Unfortunately, it did not happen,” he said.

Sudheeran said instead of holding discussions among state leaders, the DCC presidents were unilaterally decided in Delhi. “Then I had warned Sudhakaran that his style of functioning was not right. I told him the party’s situation was going to be worse,” Sudheeran said.

Sudheeran had resigned from the Political Affairs Committee and the All India Congress Committee following a difference of opinion with the state leadership. He said even after two years, the party leadership, including former president Rahul Gandhi, has not addressed his concerns. “Dear Rahul ji had also called me and promised to look into my concerns. Unfortunately, nothing has happened,” he said.

Sudhakaran on Sunday rejected all the allegations levelled by the former PCC chief. “I reject what he said. It’s out of place,” the PCC president said at the Cochin International Airport ahead of his US trip for medical treatment. Asked if Sudheeran was criticizing at the wrong time, Sudhakaran said, “It’s his culture.”

After staying away from party forums for two years, Sudeeran made a surprise entry at the PCC meet in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday and criticised the AICC leadership for its ambiguous stance on the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration. At the meeting attended by AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunshi, Sudheeran said the party should not adopt a soft Hindutva approach on the matter.

Dasmunshi reportedly responded to the criticism saying the national leadership would take a call on the issue. Sudhakaran was also not happy with Sudheeran’s remarks. Sudhakaran said Sudheeran had refused to attend previous party meetings saying he had maintained that he had quit the party. Responding to this, Sudheeran said he was still a part of the party and he would continue to attend PCC meetings and raise his opinions.