Ramesh Chennithala meets Rahul Gandhi; ex-Kerala LoP may be appointed as AICC gen secy

In another reshuffle in Kerala, ex-LoP Ramesh Chennithala was summoned to Delhi by Congress High Command on Friday. Sources report that Chennithala may be appointed as the AICC general secretary and is likely to be given charge of Punjab or Gujarat. Chennithala, a potential CM candidate, had complained to Sonia Gandhi after being dropped from the LoP post.

Chennithala to be elevated as AICC gen secy

The Kerala leader met with Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi at his Delhi residence and discussed an organisational reshuffle. Talking to reporters, he told that he had come to discuss the reasons for Congress’ loss in the recently Assembly elections. Chennithala was replaced by VD Satheesan as the new Leader of Opposition.

Kerala Congress chooses Satheesan as LoP

Satheesan, who was previously Vice-president of the Kerala Congress and AICC secretary will head the leadership change in the state after Congress' drubbing. Reports suggest that the current KPCC chief  Mullappally Ramachandran too may be replaced as per Congress High Command's wishes. Incumbent CM Pinarayi Vijayan who was re-elected has also dropped all ministers from his old cabinet, replacing them with new faces.

Ahead of the polls, Congress veteran P C Chacko -  a fierce Rahul Gandhi loyalist - sent his resignation to party chief  Sonia Gandhi claiming that there is 'no democracy in  Congress'.  Slamming the high-command of the Congress he said that the groupism had only increased and degenerated to a level where the two alleged factions - Congress (I) and Congress (A) - arrived at their own list of candidates and sent them to the high-command without any deliberations. He has now joined NCP, which is part of the ruling LDF. Later Congress released names of 86 candidates for Kerala Assembly polls, touting a 'generational shift as wanted by Rahul Gandhi' dropping several veterans, leading to another string of exits like Mahila Congress chief Lathika Subash, Kerala Congress Vice- President K C Rosakutty.

Congress' poll drubbing

Kicking off its 'Aishwarya Kerala Yatra', Congress leader  Ramesh Chennithala vowed to bring legislation to protect the rights of the Ayyappa devotees when the UDF is voted to power. Moreover, Rahul Gandhi visited the state multiple times, campaigning for UDF. Congress also repeatedly called for CM Pinarayi Vijayan's resignation over a host of issues - Gold smuggling probe, Sandalwood probe, COVID handling, Sabarimala issue, Sprinklr row, Police social media order etc. Inspite of its massive push, UDF won only 41 seats, while LDF won 99 seats, breaking the cyclic power of UDF-LDF governments in Kerala and ushering Vijayan's 2nd term.