Amidst reports of massive rebellion within the Kerala Congress ranks, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Trivandrum has been put up for sale on online marketplace OLX, News18 has reported. The office also known as Indira Bhawan serves as the state headquarters for the party.
A News Minute report which also carried screenshots of the advertisement, claimed that it was posted on Saturday night:
As seen in the advertisement posted by a certain Aniesh who calls himself a “dealer”, the 58,888 square feet property is listed as available for Rs 10,000. Listed under a “ready to move” category, the advertisement then asks the interested buyers to contact the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) or the Kerala Congress. The office though has been categorised as “unfurnished” which in jest might raise the question as to where did all the furniture go.
With regards to the “contact IUML” bit, it seems to have been inspired by reports which have claimed that it was the Muslim League which coerced the Congress into handing over the seat to Mani.
As per an Indian Express report, this advertisement was a supposed tongue in cheek attempt to protest against the Congress leadership’s decision to give away its sole Rajya Sabha seat to estranged ally K M Mani. This seat was earlier held by Joy Abraham.
Such a decision by the Congress to undermine its own leaders has irked party workers to such an extent that, reports are claiming that the party is facing its biggest rebellion in Kerala in a decade.
It is being claimed that the nomination has been described as an “appeasement of Mani”, and has seen widespread protests in the state. This include the former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s poster getting defaced in Alappuzha.
Incidentally the nomination has also upset senior state Congress leaders like PJ Kurien, KC Joseph, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Aryadan Mohammed, with Kurien who was expecting a ticket claiming that – Chandy was the main conspirator in the matter.
