New Palakkad DCC president takes charge

A. Thankappan says party will be strengthened from the bottom

A reception accorded to new District Congress Committee president A. Thankappan at the DCC office on Friday. K.K. MUSTAFAH

Newly appointed District Congress Committee (DCC) president A. Thankappan assumed office here on Friday.

Congressmen flooded the DCC office as V.K. Sreekandan, MP, handed over the

charge to Mr. Thankappan.

Mr. Thankappan said that he would try to strengthen the party from the bottom and would try to ensure the cooperation of all party workers. He said those cooperating with the Congress would be given special care.

The party structure would be strengthened from the booth level, he said.

Mr. Sreekandan presided over the function. He offered a laddoo to Mr. Thankappan.

Ramya Haridas, MP, Shafi Parambil, MLA, All India Congress Committee member V.T. Balram, senior Congress leaders V.S. Vijayaraghavan, K.A. Chandran, State secretaries C. Chandran, P.V. Rajesh and Harigovindan, United Democratic Front district convener P. Balagopal, Youth Congress district president T.H. Firos Babu, Kerala Students Union district president K.S. Jayaghosh, and Mahila Congress district president K.I. Kumari were present.

Congress leaders reminded the newly appointed president of the task ahead for him in the district. There was no DCC president for Palakkad after Mr. Sreekandan stepped down three months ago. Although Mr. Sreekandan held charge of the DCC chief, the party was almost rudderless during the period.

A.V. Gopinathan, who resigned from the party a few days ago pressurising the party leadership, is another challenge for Mr. Thankappan.

Although the Congress wrested Palakkad and Alathur Lok Sabha seats from the CPI(M) in the last Parliament election, the local civic body and the Assembly elections held after that had proved to be damaging for the party.