Senior Congress Leader VM Sudheeran Quits UDF Committee

Senior Congress leader and the party's former Kerala President VM Sudheeran on Thursday announced that he was quitting the United Democratic Front's (UDF) high power committee.

The committee is the UDF's highest decision making body where every ally has its representative.

"I have informed the Leader of opposition and others about my decision. This is it for the time being and do not wish to say anything more," Sudheeran told media persons following his announcement.

Mr Sudheeran has been upset with the Congress for a while after the party decided to re-admit estranged former ally Kerala Congress (Mani) led by former Minister K.M. Mani back into the UDF after almost a two-year hiatus in June.

He was also angered when the lone Rajya Sabha seat which would have gone to the Congress was given to Mani's party for its return to the UDF.

Mr Sudheeran's elevation as state party president in 2015 came as a shocking decision for many of the senior colleagues. He often took strong positions against his own government led by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

A few months after the 2016 Assembly elections, Sudheeran made a hasty exit as party president on the grounds of ill-health.