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Chennithala skips CLP meet in Kerala after Rahul picks Satheesan as CM leader
Politics
Published on 14 May 2026
A senior contender openly protests by skipping the vote
After Congress named V D Satheesan as Kerala chief minister, internal dissent quickly surfaced. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who had been considered for the top role, told Rahul Gandhi that party norms and his seniority were overlooked. He then made the disagreement public by skipping the Congress Legislature Party meeting in Thiruvananthapuram where Satheesan was elected leader. K C Venugopal backed the high command’s decision, pledged full support to Satheesan’s government, and defended the party’s stance despite criticism online from supporters.
- Ramesh Chennithala raised objections with Rahul Gandhi
- Chennithala cited ignored party norms, seniority, and commitment
- He skipped the Thiruvananthapuram CLP meeting
- V D Satheesan was elected CLP leader and Kerala CM
- K C Venugopal backed the high command decisively
- Venugopal defended himself against street and cyber targeting
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times