The Congress, which is seeking a revival in its fortunes in poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, has been served a jolt in Kerala, where one of its tallest leaders has been left defending a case involving corruption and sleaze.

Contents of the solar scam report was tabled in the State Assembly in a carefully choreographed sequence of events by the ruling CPI(M)-led government, landing former chief minister Oommen Chandy and other leaders in trouble.

Contents of the report are sure to haunt Chandy and a line-up of the top leadership of the party, cutting across the factional divide and the larger Congress-led United Democratic Front.

The special session was convened for the sole purpose of tabling the four-volume report, but saw spirited protests by the Congress-led Opposition over what it said were procedural lapses in the exercise.

It sought to corner the ruling dispensation over the latest controversy involving a member of the Cabinet, this time Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, who was alleged to have encroached into government land and backwaters in Kuttanad.

But its efforts ended up as mere ripples in a tsunami of breaking news relating to the solar scam inquiry report, which was officially released to the media and carried live by television channels.

The Kerala Assembly website, where the entire report was uploaded, crashed due to the heavy rush to access contents, which also mentioned alleged sexual encounters of political figures with Saritha Nair, a prime accused.

Speaking to newspersons at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee office, Oommen Chandy said that he would retire from public life if there is even an iota of truth in the allegations levelled against him.

He accused the government of purposeful interventions in the functioning of the commission and suspected its influence in the tone and tenor of the report.

The manner in which the report has been escalated to the State Assembly smacks of political witch-hunting, and lacked consistency and transparency, Chandy said.