Kerala Cong panel to study poor performance in polls

The Congress,on Wednesday,formed a three-member panel to study the partys poor performance in the recent Assembly elections. The Congress-led UDF had just about scraped through in the election with an edge of four seats over the CPI (M)-led LDF. Congress state president Ramesh Chennithala said the committee,headed by former minister Vakkom Purushothaman,would submit the report after three months. At the state executive meeting,which took stock of the party performance in the election,former MP and prominent leader V M Sudheeran said the party had faltered on candidate selection and distribution of seats among the front allies. Party legislator V D Satheeshan dubbed the Congress victory in the election as shameful. Chennithala said the party would look into the complaints from defeated candidates about the role of rebel leaders.