'I have no problem with Shashi Tharoor'

'I am the senior most Congress party leader from Kerala, and I don't know why I am sidelined.'

After Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced the reconstitution of the Congress Working Committee, a few senior Congressmen were unhappy. Among them was Ramesh Chennithala, the senior most Congress leader in Kerala.

Chennithala was expected to be chief minister had the United Democratic Front won the 2021 assembly election, but groupism within the Congress party helped Pinarayi Vijayan come back as chief minister.

Chennithala's disappointment was understandable as he had supported Kharge in the election for party president and not Shashi Tharoor.

But Kharge inducted Tharoor in the CWC and not Chennithala who continued to remain a permanent invitee to the CWC even after 19 years.

Soon after the Puthupally by-election necessitated by Oommen Chandy's death, he expressed his disappointment before going to attend the reconstituted CWC meeting in Hyderabad on the 20th of September. Soon after that, he flew to the US.

Ramesh Chennithala tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier from the US why he feels let down by the party.

"I will be the last person to quit the Congress party," says Chennithala. "But I will definitely appraise the leadership of my agony and pain."

After the CWC was reconstituted, you said you were hurt and upset. Is that why you decided to take a break from politics and be in the US?

No. I came here to attend the marriage of my very close friend who is also from my constituency. He insisted that I attended the wedding.

Yes, I was upset. I was made a permanent invitee of the CWC 19 years ago. Even after 19 years, I am holding the same position. So, I was a little upset.

I kept quiet because the party was very important to me.

The Puthupally by-election campaigning was going on when the CWC reconstitution happened. When I called you, you didn't want to talk about it.
Was it because you didn't want to rock the boat during the campaign?

Yes, that's why I didn't want to express my feelings. The by-election was very important.

Oommen Chandy and I were together for more than 20 years, and we worked in tandem even though there were differences between us.

When his son was contesting from the same constituency, I felt I should not create any problems at that time.

But when I disclosed my feelings to my friends, they also felt that whatever I had to say, I should tell my leaders in Delhi.

So, once I am back in India, I will talk to the party high command and convey my pain and agony.

To Sonia Gandhi?

Yes, to Soniaji.

See, after Oommen Chandy's death, I am the senior-most leader in the Congress party in Kerala.

I was the national president of the Youth Congress. For the last 19 years, I have been working as a special invitee to the CWC at the insistence of Sonia Gandhi.

It was Soniaji who nominated me as the permanent invitee.

I was in charge of almost all the states in the country. I was sent as the KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) president when Mr Karunakaran left the party.

Then I was the leader of the Oopposition in the Kerala assembly.

Even after all this, if I have to continue as a permanent invitee at the CWC, I have genuine grievance about it. I will definitely tell this to the high command.

Why do you think you were ignored when you have been with the party for more than four decades?

I started my political career with KSU (Kerala Students Union) as the school union secretary.

In 1982, I was appointed by Indira Gandhi as president of the National Students Union of India. I was 24 then.

I have been very loyal to the party and the leadership all the time.

I don't know the reason behind this decision. When I go to Delhi, I will discuss with them.

Didn't you talk to Sonia Gandhi till now about your disappointment?

I spent 20 days campaigning for the by-election at Puthupally, and we came out successful.

Soon after the by-election, the working committee meeting happened in Hyderabad.

At the CWC meeting, didn't you express your feelings?

It was not fair to talk about my personal feelings at the Hyderabad meeting as it was held to discuss about the preparations to be done for the 2024 parliamentary elections.

I was of the opinion that as a loyal party worker, I should not raise personal issues at a public meeting.

That's why I decided to speak to my leadership in private in Delhi.

If you find the response from the high command not satisfactory, will you quit the party like so many other senior leaders?

No. I will be the last person to quit the Congress party. I will remain in the party because I believe in the principles of the Congress party.

I will remain in the party irrespective of any position or power.

But I will definitely appraise the leadership of my agony and pain. It is not my feelings alone. The entire Kerala sympathises with me.

When I was removed from the CLP (Congress Legislative Party) leadership after the defeat in the last assembly elections, I accepted the decision without any resentment though I was enjoying the support of the majority of the MLAs.

I didn't create any problem though I could have done it. But I am not like that. I am a very sincere party worker to whom party comes first.

Do you think the leadership is taking such loyal leaders for granted?

I feel they have full confidence in me that I will not create any problem for the party. But it should not continue. They should not do like this always.

I was one person who did not sign the letter written by G-23 though I was asked to, because I was a committed party worker.

Now, all the G-23 people were accommodated (in the CWC), and I was left out! This is not good.

Were you more disappointed because Shashi Tharoor was inducted in the CWC, and you were not though you supported Kharge in the party president election?

I have nothing against A K Antony or Shashi Tharoor or K C Venugopal. A K Antony, who has retired from politics and has settled down in Kerala, was included.

Shashi Tharoor is much junior to me, and you know that when he came here from the UN, I was the KPCC president. It was I who asked him to contest from Kerala.

I have no problem with Shashi Tharoor. I am happy that he is a member of the CWC.

I am not asking for any position, but the party leadership should understand my point of view.

I am the senior most Congress party leader from Kerala, and I don't know why I am sidelined.

But even if I have no position, I will work for the party.

During the last assembly elections, it was said that you would be the chief minister if the UDF were to win the election.
But groupism within the party let the party down...

It was not just that. I was working as the leader of the Opposition. One fine morning, they made a committee with Oommen Chandy as the head.

It created a lot of confusion among party workers, but I continued to work hard.

I am not the only person who is responsible for the defeat of the UDF, but only I was punished and nobody else.

As a disciplined party leader, I accepted the party's decision to remove me as the leader of the Opposition.

Now I have been sidelined again. That's why it pains me.

IMAGE: Ramesh Chennithala

You said the preparations needed for the 2024 elections were discussed at the CWC meet in Hyderabad.
Do you think the Congress party or the INDIA alliance has a chance?

In Kerala, there is no INDIA alliance as we fight against the CPI-M here.

Still, if everybody works together in a united manner, there is a chance for the INDIA alliance to come to power.

But the parties have to be sincere as far as the alliance is concerned. I raised this in the Hyderabad meeting also.

Do you think after the Bharat Jodo Yatra, there is a difference in the way people perceive Rahul Gandhi as a person and a leader?

His image that has been tarnished by the BJP, did undergo a great change after the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Though a different perception was created by the BJP and some media wilfully, now people understood the real Rahul Gandhi.

The other day, a CPI leader said that Rahul Gandhi should not contest from Wayanad. What is your opinion?

Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad, and we have requested him also.

CPI is our opponent in Wayanad, that's why they made such demands. They are afraid of Rahul Gandhi's presence in Kerala.

If he contests from Kerala, the result will be 20/20 in our favour.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com