Congress leaders meet high command in Delhi, celebrate UDF's victory 

NEW DELHI: KPCC president Sunny Joseph, along with party leaders PC Vishnunath and AP Anilkumar, arrived in Delhi yesterday following the Congress-led UDF’s success in the local body elections in Kerala. They met the party high command as part of their visit. The Kerala leaders had reached Delhi to take part in a rally related to allegations of vote theft. They met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi at the AICC headquarters. The high command congratulated the leaders on the election victory.

Preparations for the upcoming assembly elections were also assessed. The leaders later met AICC general secretary KC Venugopal at his residence. The victory was celebrated by cutting a cake and distributing sweets. Venugopal said the win was achieved by party workers who overcame adverse circumstances. He said that major decisions, including the selection of candidates for the assembly elections, would be finalised well in advance, and the option of expanding the alliance would also be examined.

Venugopal said the BJP was exaggerating its narrow win in Thiruvananthapuram. He added that the Congress would work to remove the BJP from power in Palakkad. He said the BJP’s win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation was the result of the chief minister’s actions, with votes shifting away from CPM-held wards. According to him, the chief minister’s positions on matters such as the PM SHRI scheme, national highway projects, and labour codes drove CPM supporters to vote for the BJP.

KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the victory was the result of collective effort. He called on those who had left the UDF, indirectly referring to the Kerala Congress, to return. He said the public had correctly judged how political leadership protected those involved in the theft of gold plates at Sabarimala. “The thieves are still on the ship. The captains are yet to be caught,” he said. He added that pensions are not charity but a right of the people. Sunny Joseph also questioned whether the CPM would take action against MM Mani over his derogatory remarks.