Kerala Congress VP KC Rosakutty quits party citing 'sidelining of women', joins LDF

In a massive jolt to Kerala Congress, its Vice- President K C Rosakutty on Monday resigned from the party's primary membership and has joined hands with the LDF. Rosakutty, a former chairperson of the Kerala Women's Commission, broke ranks with party alleging that she was fed up with factionalism and Congress' inability to forge a secular front. She also said that she was upset with the Congress sidelining women, after being denied a ticket for the upcoming polls. 

Kerala Congress VP quits

"I have taken this decision after long deliberations. I am fed up with the factional wars in the party and hence decided to resign," said Rosakutty. She also alleged that the party had been sidelining women pointing out that Bindu Krishna had break into tears in front of the media before being named Congress' Kollam candidate. She also stated that Lathika Subhash's tonsuring as she was denied a ticket from Ettumanoor had pained her. Rosakutty, a Congresswomen of 36 years was denied the Kalpetta seat in the upcoming polls.

Kerala Mahila Congress chief tonsures her head

On March 14, Mahila Congress chief Lathika Subash tonsured her head and resigned from her post in front of the Congress's office in Thiruvananthapuram, denied a poll ticket. Visuals from the site show her supporters weeping as she tonsured her head. She is now set to contest as an independent candidate from the Ettumanoor constituency in the Kottayam district. Amid protests from various factions of Congress, state president Mullappally Ramachandran announced names of 86 candidates for Kerala Assembly polls. The list which saw several older leaders being dropped, indicates a 'generational shift as wanted by Rahul Gandhi', claimed Ramachandran.

Revolt in Congress

Congress veteran P C Chacko -  a fierce Rahul Gandhi loyalist - sent his resignation to party chief  Sonia Gandhi claiming that there is 'no democracy in  Congress', a few days ahead of Kerala polls. Speaking to Republic TV after his resignation, he stated that the Kerala Congress had sent nominations to the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) without discussion, slamming the 'lack of democracy'. Slamming the high-command of the Congress he said that the groupism had only increased and degenerated to a level where the two alleged factions - Congress (I) and Congress (A) - arrived at their own list of candidates and sent them to the high-command without any deliberations. He has now joined NCP, which is part of the ruling LDF.

In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF is the main contender to the Left-led LDF. Kicking off its 'Aishwarya Kerala Yatra', Congress leader  Ramesh Chennithala has vowed to bring legislation to protect the rights of the Ayyappa devotees when the UDF is voted to power.  Rahul Gandhi has also visited the state multiple times, campaigning for UDF. Congress has repeatedly called for CM Pinarayi Vijayan's resignation over a host of issues - Gold smuggling probe, Sandalwood probe, COVID handling, Sabarimala issue, Sprinklr row, Police social media order etc. Elections will take place in a single-phase in Kerala, with the polling of votes on April 6 followed by counting and declaration of results on May 2.