Ramesh Chennithala likely to be made Congress General Secretary

Former Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, who did not get a second term in the post, is likely to be made a Congress’s General Secretary. While Chennithala had support from a majority of the Congress legislators for a second term as the Leader of Opposition, however, the party high command decided to give the post to VD Satheesan.

For the past two decades, the state Congress unit has been divided into factions led by Chennithala and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. However, following the drubbing in the April 6 Assembly polls where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led the CPI(M)-led LDF to a second term, the high command decided to step in and not give way to the factions.

Last week, Congress announced K Sudhakaran as the state’s party chief. Following Sudhakaran's appointment, Chennithala was called to come to Delhi by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi. After they met on Friday, Chennithala said that the meeting went very well. Reacting to questions from journalists whether he will take charge as General Secretary of Congress, Chennithala said that is up to the high command. He also stated that he is happy to work even as a regular party worker.

He further added, “I am very satisfied with meeting with Rahul Gandhi. It is true that Oommen Chandy and I had expressed some concern about the parliamentary party election. I explained all that to him and I elaborated on reasons why the Congress failed in the Assembly polls. He responded to that. Whether Oommen Chandy or I, we have always stood close to the Congress high command. We have always obeyed the decisions taken by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for Congress. In the future also, that will continue,” Chennithala told the media.

With Assembly elections due in Punjab and Gujarat next year, Chennithala, who was a Lok Sabha member and a member of the Congress Working Committee, seems set to get a new party post as he is fluent in Hindi and is friends with a wide circle of party leaders.

(With inputs from IANS)

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Chennithala: Opposition leader who fought relentlessly yet failed to be mass leader