Kochi: Rape accused Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly has gone underground after he was booked under different charges even as the CPM is keeping mum to let the matter rot further. The party feels that the more the MLA delays to quit, the better it would be for the left government.
The CPM state Secretariat discussed the matter in detail at Thiruvananthapuram today. The party is reported to be not keen on demanding his resignation as the issue is going to add to its armoury in the days ahead.
The party is perhaps waiting for the outcome of court ruling on his anticipatory bail plea. If the ruling is not in his favour and he continues to hang on as MLA, the Left party might come out in the open targeting the Congress.
The Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan and Congress state chief K Sudhakaran have announced that action would be taken against Eldhose if the party is convinced that he is wrong. Sudhakaran has sought a clarification from him by October 20 failing which the party would act against him, media reports quoting Congress press release said. Both his mobile phones are switched off even as he is making using social media to make his postings.
The incident has caused immense damage to the Congress at a time when it is passing through a crisis situation at national level. Revolutionary Marxist Party chief K K Rema’s suggestion seeking Eldhose’s resignation has added insult to injury to Congress as it was the Congress which had supported her in the last Assembly election.
The party, which heads the United Democratic Front, was performing well in the state under the stewardship of the two new leaders who are working very hard for the next Lok Sabha election. In the last election in 2019, the Congress had won 19 out of 20 seats thrashing the ruling Left Front even in communist strongholds.
Gone are days when the Left front and the Congress led front used to decide the politics of the state. Now that BJP and outfits like twenty twenty are growing in popularity, the Congress cannot take the matter lightly.
