'Third group' for AICC-CWC norms

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 23. The `third group' in the State Congress today joined issue in the current debate between the senior leaders, Mr. K. Karunakaran and Mr. A.K. Antony, over the allocation of tickets to candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections by bluntly opposing candidates' selection on the basis of group affiliation and quota system.

Demanding implementation of the AICC-CWC norms for candidates' selection, Mr. Ramesh Chennithala and Mr. G. Karthikeyan, senior leaders of the `third group', placed a four- point charter for a debate. Mr. Chennithala said the victory chances of candidates should be one of the main yardsticks. Besides, more consideration should be given to youth on the basis of their organisational capabilities, leadership qualities and contribution to democratic struggles and functional background.

``We are opposed to giving party tickets on the basis of the excessive interests of any leader or on the basis of the candidates' loyalty to such a leader. We are against giving tickets to youth who are not presentable and acceptable to the public,'' they said.

The two leaders pointed out that they were compelled to state their positions in the context of the public debate initiated by the senior leaders themselves. ``We earnestly request the senior leaders to observe self-restraint in their comments especially on the eve of the Assembly elections when the prospects of the UDF winning were brightest,'' they said.

It was the responsibility of the Congress, being the major partner in the UDF, to channelise the anti-Government sentiments. ``A strong political process, centered around an anti-LDF movement, is on. The senior leaders should work towards instilling people's confidence in the party and the UDF and their leadership.''

They said that all this while, the `third group' had remained silent for the sake of internal peace in the party, at times even at the cost of facing insults. ``The fight is between two strong political fronts. Instead of inviting public attention on the unpopular LDF Government, it was highly undemocratic on the part of a section in the party to utilise the occasion to display their relative strength and influence by hitting out at the opponents,'' they said.

In reply to a question, they said they were compelled to join the debate over party tickets, but were responding only in a positive way. ``If the current debate leads to a positive development, then we wholeheartedly welcome it,'' they said.

They said there should not be any bar on fielding candidates who had been consistently winning a particular Assembly seat, unless the party leadership felt that the services of such a person could be utilised elsewhere. Similarly, it would be unfair to deny tickets to consistent losers, without analysing the reasons for their defeat or their public acceptance, they said.

Asked whether the `third group' was afraid of being sidelined in the sweepstakes, the two leaders said it was impossible to alienate any one in the party. Mr. Chennithala, in reply to a question on the UDF leadership issue, categorically stated that Mr. Antony was the leader of the UDF. Mr. Karthikeyan supplemented his statement by stating that the question of the UDF leadership was irrelevant at a time when the message was very clear that Mr. Antony would be the leader. ``He has led the UDF as Chief Minister, then as the Leader of the Opposition and now he is soon embarking on a major campaign from Kasaragod against the LDF misrule. The message is very clear. And the debate over the leadership was irrelevant,'' he said.

Mr. Karthikeyan said he had strong differences with Mr. Karunakaran regarding his observations about the functioning of the Opposition in the last four and odd years. ``Except for the technical lapse of not bringing in a no-confidence motion, the Opposition had relentlessly and effectively functioned in the Assembly,'' he said.

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Section  : Southern States
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