Chennithala alleges move to sideline senior Congress leaders in Kerala

He flays attempts by party leadership to ignore dissent, raises voice for former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy

The simmering discontent over the selection of new presidents to the District Congress Committees (DCCs) came out in the open on Friday, with senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala hitting out at the move to sideline senior party leaders. Inaugurating the swearing-in ceremony of Nattakom Suresh as president of the Kottayam DCC, Mr. Chennithala used the occasion to openly air grievances against the K. Sudhakaran-led dispensation. The disgruntled leader also criticized attempts by the party leadership to ignore voices of dissent, while also raising voice for Oommen Chandy, a leader long regarded as his bete noir. “I am not saying that all decisions of the Congress should have been taken after consulting me. I am just a kaalana [inconsequential] member, but Oommen Chandy is the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Everybody has a responsibility to discuss matters relating to the organisation with him,” said Mr. Chennithala.