Chennithala likely to get AICC general secretary post as Leader of Opposition

It is learned that after the changes made in the leadership and parliamentary party in Kerala – in the wake of the debacle in the assembly polls – causing uneasiness among key factions in the state, Congress leaders may now intervene. Sources said that as a first step, Ramesh Chennithala may be brought to Delhi as AICC general secretary in-charge of the poll-bound state. Chennithala met senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday. Sources said he expressed his unhappiness over the manner in which the party’s Kerala unit has been transformed. Soon after the electoral defeat, the party high command appointed VD Satheesan as the Leader of the Opposition, ignoring Chennithala, who had held the post in the previous assembly. Distressed Chennithala then wrote a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi saying that the way the central leadership has handled the matter, He feels “humiliated” by it and argued that senior leaders like him do not deserve such treatment. Sources said that even senior leaders like former chief minister Oommen Chandy and former PCC president Mullapally Ramachandran were not happy and Chennithala had indicated this to Gandhi. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chennithala said he was relieved. according to sources, Chennithala can now be brought to Delhi as AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab or Gujarat – states which are due for assembly elections next year. While AICC in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat has already asked the high command to relieve him as elections in his home state Uttarakhand are also due in the first half of next year. The post of AICC in-charge of Gujarat is vacant after the death of Rajiv Satav. The source said that Gandhi is planning to travel to Kerala soon and he may meet both Chandy and Ramachandran. Chandy is already AICC general secretary (in-charge of Andhra Pradesh) and member of Congress Working Committee (CWC). Former Chief Minister AK Antony is also a member of the CWC. Another prominent leader from Kerala is KC Venugopal, AICC General Secretary (Organisation). Giving Chennithala a prominent role in Delhi means Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan and Newly appointed state Congress president K Sudhakaran will also have to give a free hand to both. If Chennithala is appointed AICC general secretary, he will become a member of the CWC by post, which means that the CWC will have four members from Kerala. Chennithala was AICC secretary before being appointed state Congress president in 2005. “The first priority is clearly Kerala. But whatever responsibility is given to me by the leadership, I will accept it.