Not complained against Sudheeran to Sonia: Chennithala

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala in a post on his Facebook page has denied media reports that he has complained against state Congress unit chief V.M. Sudheeran to party president Sonia Gandhi.

"There have been media reports that I have complained against Sudheeran and this is baseless and false. Whenever I come to Delhi, I call upon party president Sonia Gandhi and brief her of the happenings in the state and it's most unfortunate and unfair by the media to twist my meeting in this way," said Chennithala on his Facebook page on Friday afternoon.

The civic poll results did not go for the Congress as it expected, he added.

"This is not the time to raise complaints, instead the onus is on us to ensure that the Congress party is united and moves forward. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Sudheeran and myself will be meeting with all the 14 district Congress party presidents soon and work out new strategies to strengthen the party," said the post.

The home minister, who leads a faction of the Congress party in Kerala, was in Delhi earlier this week. The meeting with Sonia Gandhi that the media, according to him, misrepresented had taken place during that visit.

The Congress party in Kerala has long been beset by factionalism. Currently, it is Chandy who is in control of the party, with a sizeable group following him.

Sudheeran, who was handpicked last year by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to lead the party in Kerala, had caused heartburns to both Chandy and Chennithala. Since then Chandy-Chennithala duo has successfully checkmated Sudheeran.