Another senior leader resigns from Cong in Kerala

In yet another blow to the Congress in poll-bound Kerala, All India Congress Committee member and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president K C Rosakutty on Monday resigned from the party's primary membership and decided to associate with the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front.

"I have taken this decision after long deliberations. I am fed up with the factional wars in the party and hence decided to resign," Rosakutty said, ending her over 37-year association with the grand old party.

Pointing that the party of late has been sidelining women and it cannot be accepted, she said, adding Bindu Krishna, had to break into tears before the media before she was named the party candidate from Kollam, for the April6 Assembly polls in the state.

She also said what happened to Lathika Subhash, who a few days ago had resigned from the party and tonsured her head
in protest after being denied a ticket to contest from Ettumanoor in Kottayam district, had pained her.

The Congress has been unable to forge a secular front to take on communal parties, the veteran leader said adding she was disappointed with the stand taken by the party on various issues.

A former chairperson of the Kerala Women's Commission, Rosakutty, had represented Wayanad's Sulthan Bathery in the assembly from 1991-96.

She was reportedly keen to contest from the Kalpettaseat in Wayanad, but the seat was offered to T Siddique.

The development comes on a day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Kerala on a two-day visit for campaigning.

CPI-M leader and former Kannur MP P K Sreemathy met Rosakutty and said 'Sakhavu' (comrade) will campaign for LDF candidates, including M Shreyams Kumar, who is contesting from Kalpetta.

Kumar also met Rosakutty.