Kadannappally removed from Congress (S) Presidentship

Kochi, July 22 (UNI) Bringing to fore the dissidence in the Kerala unit of the Congress(S), a majority group of the party today decided to remove party President Ramachandran Kadannappally and appoint Paithal Padannakandy in his place.

Speaking to newspersons here, Party General Secretary P Kunhikannan said the decision was taken after the state committee meeting here, in which ten executive members participated.

He said out of 21 executive members in the state committee, four members left the party earlier, 10 were present in the meeting and voiced their protest against the 'indifferent attitude' of Mr Kadannappally.

'' Mr Kadannappally did not convene a single meeting of the executive committee, which should have been convened once every month, after the last State Assembly Elections in May 2006,'' he said.

Mr Padannakandy said the former leader was also taking 'autucratic' party decisions without consulting other party members.

'' Mr Kadannappally also indulged in misappropriation of party funds for which he did not furnish any financial statements,'' Mr Padannakandy alleged.

He said the party, which was a constituent of the state's ruling Left Democratic Front(LDF), would request the Front to consider its candidates for the LDF State Committee.

In the coming months, Congress (S) would convene three zonal conventions at Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, and committees at all districts to strengthen the party.

UNI