New YC leaders to take charge on Oct 23 amid factional feud

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid stiff resistance from Congress working committee member Ramesh Chennithala after his proposal for a key post was rejected, the new state president of Youth Congress O J Janeesh and working president Binu Chulliyil will assume office on October 23. The leadership has dismissed allegations that the delay in taking charge has any connection with the confusion prevailing in the organisation. We were waiting for the culmination of KPCCs Sabarimala Viswasa Samrakshana Yatra, a Youth Congress leader said. The new office-bearers will take charge in the presence of KPCC president and Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib. It has now become clear it was the backing of KPCC president Sunny Joseph and unconditional support of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan that made it easier for Shafi Parambil and K C Venugopal to install their nominees in crucial posts, even though Ramesh Chennithala-loyalist Abin Varkey, had secured the second highest votes in the YC state president election held earlier. The national leadership clarified that Binu Chulliyil was considered only after consultation with the election wing of the organisation. However, it was after Ramesh Chennithalas stiff resistance that the KC- Shafi axis decided to appoint Jineesh, a Shafi loyalist as president, and create a working president post to accommodate Binu. The allegations against Binu are baseless, an office-bearer said. He was an elected general secretary in Shafi Parambils committee. When it was decided that only A and I groups will contest in the last election, Binu was asked not to contest by the leadership. Both Abin Varkey and Rahul Mamkootathil were nominated into the state committee led by Shafi earlier, though they did not contest election. Hence, Binu was not the first one to be nominated, he said. The KC group also pointed out that K M Abhijith, A group nominee, could not be considered for the top post as he is not a member of Youth Congress committees. They further argued that since the national committee had the authority to decide whether to continue with the existing state committee, the claim that the committee still had a year left is not accurate. In four states, the national leadership nominated national secretaries to the top post, a leader said. Shafi-KC axis The backing of KPCC president Sunny Joseph and support of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan have made it easier for Shafi Parambil and K C Venugopal to install their nominees in crucial posts, even though Ramesh Chennithala-loyalist Abin Varkey had secured the second highest votes in the YC state president election held earlier