Gearing up the party for LS polls top priority: VM Sudheeran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The newly appointed Kerala unit Congress President V M Sudheeran today said his top priority would be to galvanise the party and the UDF for the coming Lok Sabha polls in the state.

"As the Lok Sabha polls are round the corner, my immediate priority is to prepare the party and the coalition for the elections. The party-government coordination would be strengthened in consultation with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy," Sudheeran told reporters here.

The appointment of Sudheeran brings an end to over a month-long suspense over the appointment of PCC chief to lead the party in the Lok Sabha election after Ramesh Chennithala, who has been heading the state unit for nine years, joined the Chandy cabinet as Home Minister.

Sudheeran, known for his clean image and firm stand on issues, was called to Delhi by high command last week and held discussions with party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

The choice of Sudheeran also assumes significance as he is considered as a leader acceptable to all groups in the party in Kerala and hails from the numerically strong Ezhava community from Thrissur.

Earlier, Assembly speaker G Karthikeyan's name also made rounds in the media as a favorite candidate for the key post.

Known for long as a staunch loyalist of A K Antony, 65-year-old Sudheeran has, of late, been keeping away from associting himself with any particular faction in the state.

However, he has often come out with open comments on some issues withoug bothering whether they are in tune with the policies of the government or not.

Sudheeran, who began his political carrer through the Kerala Students Union wing in 1960s, later headed Youth Congress and held various positions in the KPCC.

He had also served as Minister of the State and Speaker of the Assembly. He was member of the Lok Sabha twice, elected from Alappuzha.