Kottayam: A day after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) was reconstituted, Ramesh Chennithala, senior leader in Kerala broke his silence over not being made a member of the party’s decision-making body. Addressing media at Pambady near here on Monday, Chennithala said he was reserving his comments until September 6. The Puthuppally assembly bypoll is slated for September 5.
“Now, my focus is only on the bypoll and we are working to ensure maximum victory margin for our candidate Chandy Oommen,” he told TV reporters who have been waiting for him at the UDF’s election office. He did not speak much but then a few minutes later, he came back and addressed the media again, and reiterated the corruption allegations against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.
Chennithala was visibly upset on Sunday when media sought his reaction after the new list of CWC members was announced. The former Kerala home minister was named only a permanent invitee while Shashi Tharoor MP found a place in the panel. Chennithala was made a permanent invitee to the CWC 19 years ago, while Tharoor joined the party only over a decade ago.
Sources in the party said Chennithala was omitted from the list considering community equations as two leaders from his community – Tharoor and K C Venugopal – were in the panel. Chennithala was hoping to be included in the CWC as a member after the death of Oommen Chandy who was in the panel, sources said. The senior leader has already been feeling sidelined in the Congress’ state unit after he was denied the post of opposition leader for a second term following the party’s drubbing in the 2021 assembly elections.
Congress leaders in the state have, however, tried to downplay Chennithala’s anger over the CWC omission, saying reports of his displeasure were all media creation.
V D Satheesan, who replaced Chennithala as opposition leader in 2021, said the latter had no displeasure over the list. He is a leader who stands firmly with any decision taken by the national leadership of the Congress, he said. KPCC president K Sudhakaran, however, said it cannot be said Chennithala has got the post he deserved. “He will get more posts,” Sudhakaran said.
Asked about Chennithala’s displeasure, AICC general secretary Venugopal told media that the Congress has the ability to neatly solve the problems internally.
"Ramesh Chennithala is not only the Kerala leader of the party, he is also one of the important leaders of Congress in India. If he has any difficulty (in connection with the CWC list), the party leadership will not hesitate to solve it," Venugopal said.
Chennithala came to know about the list on Sunday afternoon while campaigning for Congress candidate Chandy Oommen in Puthuppally.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday reconstituted the party's top decision-making body-CWC- with some leaders of the G23 grouping, including in it Tharoor and Anand Sharma, who were critical of the party leadership in the past among the 84 members.
The all-important Congress Working Committee, formed 10 months after Kharge took charge after defeating Tharoor, includes several young faces who are below the age of 50, leaders from weaker sections, and 15 women.
The new CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees, including some in-charges of states, and 13 special invitees, including presidents of the Youth Congress, the National Students' Union of India, the Mahila Congress, and the Seva Dal as ex-officio members.
(With PTI inputs)
