Haripad: Former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala admitted his pursuit to lead the Kerala government will continue.
"I had yearned to become the Chief Minister of Kerala. My attempts toward this end will continue," Chennithala said.
Chennithala lost the chance to lead the Kerala government as the United Democratic Front political alliance led by his Congress party was trounced by the Left Democratic Front in the Legislative Assembly election last May.
This was the second straight time in five years the UDF lost the state election.
As a senior Congress leader, Chennithala's chances of heading the Congress legislative party and thereby being the CM choice were high.
"Just because I could not become the chief minister, I won't stop trying again. I will fight till the end," the veteran Congress leader and legislator stated.
"I am determined to attain the post one day. Everyone should have such dreams," Chennithala said more as a pep talk to students gathered at a Merit Award distribution meet rather than as affirming a political goal.
The function was organised by the Taj-Ul Ulema Educational trust at Haripad in Kerala's Alappuzha district.
Later he played down his remarks saying he had made the statement jocularly to motivate the students.
"As I arrived at the meet a priest was delivering a motivational speech. I too took off on those lines," Chennithala clarified obviously to preempt any adverse reaction from his party which is now in the hands of new leadership in the state.
As the Leader Of Opposition in the previous Legislative Assembly, Chennithala had exposed the state government's ommissions and commissions fairly effectively, but the voters reposed faith in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government. The latter's victory is widely touted to be a result of its welfare-oriented measures implemented in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and resultant long shutdowns commencing from March 2020.
Chennithala has been a state minister a few times and led the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
He currently represents the Haripad Legislative Assembly constituency.
