Rahul Gandhi visits Kerala amid infighting in Congress

Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet the warring faction of the Congress which is reportedly miffed with K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan's handling of the party and its members. As per Gandhi's itinerary, he will lay foundation stone for a project and inaugurate a slew of developmental projects, stay in the state tonight and fly back to New Delhi tomorrow

Kozhikode (Kerala):Amid escalating tensions in the Congress party, and two days after senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran's resignation from the All India Congress Committee (AICC), the party's top leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Kerala on a pre-scheduled visit. As per Gandhi's itinerary, he will lay foundation stone for a project and inaugurate a slew of developmental projects, stay in the state tonight and fly back to New Delhi tomorrow.

Kerala Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC president K. Sudakaran received him at the Karipur airport. AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, who originally hails from Kerala, accompanied Gandhi.

Though Gandhi's itinerary makes no mention of his meetings with the warring factions of the party, an organisation rejig is on the cards as he will hold a meeting with Sudhakaran. Gandhi is also expected to assuage the sentiments of those Congress leaders who are reportedly miffed with Sudhakaran and Satheesan's handling of the party and its members.

According to sources, Gandhi will hold meetings with both Sudhakaran and Satheesan close on the heels of the party's General Secretary in charge of Kerala Tariq Anwar submitting his report after meeting top state leaders recently. Former chief ministers and senior leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala feel they are being 'conveniently ignored' after Satheesan and Sudhakaran took charge of the Kerala Congress, sources said.

Infighting had broken out among leaders of Congress in Kerala after the party released its list of DCC presidents. At least two members have quit the party taking offence at the choice of new district presidents. Congress leaders K.P. Anil Kumar and Rathi Kumar left the party and joined the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the party leading the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala.

Sudheera, a former minister and KPCC ex-president, resigned from his membership of AICC, citing disagreement with the state leadership. Sudheeran had also quit the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party.

The Congress party is also fighting another battle in Punjab as politician-turned-cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, who took charge as the Punjab Congress Committee chief just over two months ago, tendered his resignation to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday.