Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 1 Senior Congress leader and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash on Thursday expressed displeasure over the functioning of the ruling front and Chief Minister V D Satheesan, saying he was being kept out of several important decisions and had to learn about them through the media.
Addressing a press conference here, Prakash, a senior Lok Sabha MP and former minister, said the situation amounted to “serious neglect” of the UDF convenor and that he would formally convey his strong dissatisfaction to the AICC.
“A convenor of a front, holding a responsible position, having to learn about important government policies and decisions through news reports in newspapers and television channels amounts to serious neglect,” he said.
Prakash said Congress workers from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram and members of the public supporting the UDF were seeking explanations from him on various matters, but he was often unable to provide them as he himself had not been informed.
“I am left without answers when Congress workers and people who love the UDF ask me about several matters,” he said.
His remarks came a day after the reported appointment of senior IUML leader M K Muneer as chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission with Cabinet rank and Forward Bloc leader G Devarajan as Kerala’s special representative in Delhi with Cabinet rank.
The appointments, reportedly made by the Cabinet, had not been discussed in the UDF, Prakash indicated.
He, however, clarified that he was not questioning the eligibility of those appointed to the posts.
“I have no personal interest in appointments,” he said, adding that a solution should be found at the earliest to issues relating to appointments to state-run boards and corporations.
Prakash said several matters were being decided without collective consultations and that the UDF had not met for quite some time.
The Chief Minister, who is also the UDF chairman, should take the initiative to convene the meeting, he said.
“There is no need to whisper such things into the Chief Minister’s ear. The UDF should discuss such matters collectively,” Prakash said.
He said the lack of coordination was evident during the recent local body bypolls and that the front had failed to achieve some of the gains it had expected, though it won 18 seats without suffering major setbacks.
According to him, the power crisis had caused dissatisfaction among several sections and that such issues needed to be discussed within the alliance.
He had been informing the leadership whenever differences of opinion arose on various matters and pointed out that the AICC had entrusted him with the responsibility of UDF convenor.
“I cannot continue to keep this neglect under wraps. I will officially inform the AICC, which entrusted me with this responsibility, about my strong dissatisfaction,” he said.
Asked about the controversy surrounding CM Satheesan’s use of a chartered flight, Prakash said he should convince the people about the circumstances.
He also said the concerns he had raised were not intended as a personal attack on the Chief Minister, but stemmed from his responsibilities as UDF convenor.
To a question if he was being sidelined, Prakash said it was for the media to assess.
“I am in a situation where I cannot give precise answers to questions about the UDF. I regret that. Many things are happening without discussion or consultation,” he said.
Prakash said he was making his concerns public as he had a responsibility to respond to questions from party workers and UDF supporters.
“I am saying these things because people should also know about them,” he said.
(PTI News)
