Casting a shadow over the ongoing visit of All India Congress Committee general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to her constituency, the recent suicides of at least two Congress leaders in the district appear to have exposed the “deep-rooted factionalism and betrayal” in the party.
Last week, local party leader Jose Nelledam died, allegedly by suicide, at Mullankolly. This was followed by an alleged suicide attempt by Padmaja, the daughter-in-law of former District Congress Committee treasurer N.M. Vijayan. The attempt was reportedly made hours after she told the media that the party had promised financial assistance to cover the substantial debts her father-in-law had incurred to protect the interests of other party leaders. Vijayan and his son Jijesh had allegedly attempted suicide on December 25 last year and died two days later.
Ms. Padmaja released an audio clip, which she claimed was that of senior party leader Thiruvanachoor Radhakrishnan, who had headed the committee set up by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to probe the circumstances leading to Vijayan’s death. The audio clip, reportedly that of Mr. Radhakrishnan, is critical of the party leadership for reneging on its promise to Vijayan’s family.
