THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The atmosphere of the riot has intensified in the Congress with the A and I groups adopting the stand that they are not ready for a compromise in the dispute over the reorganisation of Congress block presidents. Although KPCC president K Sudhakaran has officially invited Ramesh Chennithala and MM Hassan to participate in the two-day workshop for block presidents in the southern region starting tomorrow in Ernakulam, it is learned that they have decided to stay away.

AICC General Secretary Tariq Anwar, who is in charge of Kerala, will arrive tomorrow to participate in the workshop. He may hold discussions with senior leaders. However, the group leaders believe that there is no point in discussing this matter with him, who publicly supported the state leadership in the matter of reorganization. Hence, it is not sure whether Tariq's move will yield any result.

The position of the group leaders is that leadership destroyed the atmosphere of unity in the party as there was not enough consultation in the appointment of block presidents. The group leaders may meet AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge in person to raise this matter. He is not in Delhi now. The leaders will meet him after he arrives in Delhi.

The group leaders are complaining that while the KPCC president was ready to hold talks with other leaders before the appointment of the block presidents, the opposition leader's stubbornness prevented the talks. The group leaders are suspecting that Satheesan is trying to assert supremacy by making the groups irrelevant. The groups are making efforts for collective defence by foreseeing survival. The move is to call joint group meetings in the districts as well, similar to the meeting held by top leaders the other day.

Satheesan responds
VD Satheesan, who had not yet responded to the reorganisation dispute, changed his stance and ventured to make a public response. It is believed that he resorted to public response after becoming aware that he is the target of the group leaders. He made public his displeasure with the move made by the groups. He also asked the leaders to introspect.

Meanwhile, the state leadership reiterated that it had communicated with Ramesh Chennithala and MM Hassan before finalizing the block reorganization. After the KPCC president, the opposition leader also highlighted this.