Leaking party news a disease, says Satheesan amid rift in Congress over Wayanad plans

Kochi: Amid reports of another round of rift among the Congress leadership in Kerala, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan on Saturday said that certain leaders have a habit of leaking party discussions to media and termed it a disease.
"Those who leak such news to media do not think of the pain it causes to ordinary party workers. We should think if those who leak anti-party news to media are party's kin," Satheesan said. He was addressing the George Eden commemorative meet at the Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) office.

Satheesan remembered former MP Eden, and the father of current Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, as a leader who had the courage to question anyone. "All leaders are subject to criticism and supposed to renew themselves through criticism by others. If someone criticises me I will examine it and correct myself. If there is no merit in the criticism I will try to convince those who raise the criticism," he added.

Satheesan's open remonstration comes amid reports that the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) convened a special meeting discuss the criticism raised by a section of leaders against him over the manner in which the decisions taken at a camp in Wayanad were being implemented. The Wayanad camp had prepared an action plan aiming victory in the local body polls due next year.

The Vision 2025 document was presented by Satheesan at Wayanad meet. Those close to PCC president K Sudhakaran say that the task to implement the suggestions were assigned to a core team. However, Satheesan camp says that he was assigned to coordinate the works.

Reports said that a section of KPCC leaders in charge of various districts were miffed over not being included in a WhatsApp group created by the opposition leader's office to discuss the poll plan. They also questioned the opposition leader for issuing a circular on poll-related decisions surpassing the PCC president.

Following the complaints, Sudhakaran called a meeting of the KPCC office-bearers online. Satheesan, reports said, became upset with the move to call a meeting to discuss the complaints against him without his presence.

Satheesan, in an apparent response, to the developments skipped the party's leadership camp in Thiruvananthapuram. His stance is that he would stay away from district camps until the All India Congress Committee (AICC) brings out clarity about how to implement the Wayanad decisions.