Vakkom report gathering dust

KOCHI: Another fact-finding report of the Congress is gathering dust with the party yet to discuss the report of the Vakkom Purushothaman panel, set up by the KPCC to probe into the poor performance of the party in the last Assembly elections.When other parties like the CPM and the CPI having already done a review of their performance during the election, the ruling Congress is yet to find out how it fell short at 38 as against the high expectations.Even though a section of the leaders are hopeful of discussing the party’s debacle, most of the leaders say that the Vakkom report submitted in August will be just an eyewash.  They said that similar committees had been appointed in the past when the Congress faced much factionalism but no action had been taken on such reports. The report of the committee headed by Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, which looked into the factionalism in the party, has not yet come out.The Congressmen say that it has become a routine affair for the KPCC to set up a fact-finding committee soon after an election. The Vakkom report would also have the similar fate of other reports, they said adding that no action would be taken.The party executive, that was to discuss the report, has not met in the last two months, which has delayed the whole process, sources said. Moreover, the party would be having a new executive as part of the Congress reorganisation, they said adding that the report could only be taken up by the new executive.Former KPCC president K Muraleedharan said the report could be discussed only after the Assembly session. "The executive has not met and that is the reason why the report was not discussed,’’ he said.Thennala Balakrishnan Pillai, another former KPCC president, said the KPCC received the report and it would be discussed. "The party has a view on everything,’’ he said, but did not comment on the delay in discussing the report.  The report finds factionalism and infighting as the main reason for the party’s poor performance in many of the seats. It also points at KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for having committed mistakes in the selection of candidates.