Ramesh Chennithala woos I' group leaders

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, who has been trying to assert his authority over the ‘I’ group, has begun meeting the faction leaders from every district to win their support. This follows the unexpected jolt he suffered when the  ‘I’ group leaders stayed away from the group meeting he had called at his official residence on Friday last.  

Mr Chennithala met leaders like KPCC general secretary N. Venugopal, Youth Congress vice- president C. R. Mahesh, former All-India Youth Congress general secretary Mathew Kuzhalnadan and secretary Deepthi Mary Varghese in Kochi on Wednesday. Sources said he would meet more group leaders across the state soon.

“Chennithala is on a mission to reassure  the group leaders who have been inactive after  the poll debacle. He wants to wake them  from their ‘cold slumber,’” said a leader.

The group leaders feel that Mr Chennithala, who grabbed the Opposition Leader post, had ignored them. His trusted lieutenant K. Sudhakaran and  MLAs K. Muraleedharan and V. D. Satheeshan have not  got  preference in the party. Mr Chennithala claims all credit for  himself leaving the rest to sulk,”  said a source.

Mr Chennithala had earlier rubbished the report that the group had  withered away though the AICC had been warning the leaders not to promote factional politics. The party restructuring may take place without  groupism soon, it is learnt.