Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala tread a fine line on Monday to express his chagrin at not being included in the Congress Working Committee.
At a press conference here, Mr. Chennithala, widely reckoned as the Leader of the I-group, which has considerable organisational heft, said the AICC had bestowed on him, a post – permanent invitee – that he held previously in 2004.
Pointing out that persons relatively junior to him made it to the CWC, Mr. Chennithala said he was not questioning their merit. CWC members K.C. Venugopal, Shashi Tharoor and Kodikunnil Suresh merited their posts.
Mr. Chennithala also said he did not mind not being the Leader of the Opposition. Nevertheless, he disagreed with how the party decided to replace him.
Mr. Chennithala said he had not lacked organisation zeal and abided by the Congress high command’s decision. He was at the forefront of the Congress’s successful by-election campaign in Puthuppally. For the past two years, Mr. Chennithala said he had successfully and passionately executed every task assigned to him by the party. He reminded the party of his long years in politics.
KPCC president K. Sudhakaran said Congress took Mr. Chennithala’s words to heart, and the party would address his grievance and hold the senior leader close.
