Kerala Congress unit chief wants to resign

Congress’s Kerala president Mullappally Ramachandran has expressed readiness to step down from the post, setting the stage for a change of guard within the state unit in the wake of the Assembly elections rout. This comes a week after the high command replaced Congress parliamentary party leader in the Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, with V D Satheesan.

Chennithala said eight-time MP Ramachandran had informed the high command about his willingness to resign from the post.

Ramachandran could not be reached for comment.

Congress sources said the leading contenders for the post are the party’s state working presidents Kodikkunnil Suresh, K Sudhakaran and senior legislator P T Thomas. After the drubbing in the Assembly elections, several Congress leaders had criticised Ramachandran, saying that the party machinery was weak and inactive during the campaign.

In a move seen by many as a generational shift, Satheesan was made the leader of the Congress parliamentary party, disregarding strong objection from factions led by Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy.

“As the lobbying of Congress groups to retain Chennithala as parliamentary party leader failed to work, groups are not confident about pushing for anyone … A generation change in the party leadership also looks imminent. We are awaiting to see whether the high command would once again snub the faction leaders,” sources said.