THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has called a special meeting of the KPCC leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss organisational matters, including the election of a new PCC president. Apart from acting PCC president M. M. Hassan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, all the 14 DCC presidents will attend the meeting. The AICC has decided to consult the leaders following the demand made by former PCC president V. M. Sudheeran and former chief minister Oommen Chandy for the election of a new PCC chief on the basis of a consensus.

AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik and secretary in charge of the state Dipak Babaria will participate in the talks. Mr Chennithala and Mr Chandy want Mr Hassan to continue in the post till the organisational elections are held. Mr Chandy has ruled himself out of the race. The Congress leaders have expressed different views on Mr Rahul’s decision to hold the meeting. “The AICC wants to consult the leaders ever since the DCC presidents were appointed after talks with more than 100-plus leaders in the state. Such talks are needed to revive the party in the state and elsewhere in the country,” a Congress MLA told DC.

However, a senior KPCC general secretary criticised the move saying the central leadership was inordinately delaying the process. “It shows the ineptitude of the AICC leadership in zeroing in on a party president. A decision has to come from the central leadership and the state counterparts will have to abide by it. When Sudheeran stepped down, it took more than a month for the AICC to find a replacement,” he said.