Sudheeran comes under fire at UDF meet

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader and party's former Kerala President V.M. Sudheeran came under fire at the United Democratic Front meeting held here on Monday, the first after the estranged Kerala Congress-Mani returned to the alliance.

Though Sudheeran, who had earlier attacked his party for gifting the Rajya Sabha seat, was absent, a peeved KC-M chief K.M. Mani said that even if the Congress leader was present, he (Mani) would have told him to his face that he was a politician with "scruples and values and not one who jumps from one place to another for posts or positions".

As Mani continued to attack Sudheeran, state Congress President M.M.Hassan sought to soothe him by stating that what Sudheeran said was not the Congress' opinion.

Senior Congress legislator and former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran's son, K.Muraleedharan, who had slammed party leaders like former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Hassan for gifting the seat to Mani, said that his initial response was against it, but later realising the rationale behind it, he changed his opinion.

Ever since Mani had been given the Rajya Sabha seat, Sudheeran had been vocal in his opposition, forcing several leaders to complain against him to the party high command.