Chennithala is KPCC chief

Announcing the appointment, spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said the new state chief “assumed charge before 9am here”. Sources said this was done so that Chennithala’s appointment could sidestep a Thiruvananthapuram magistrate’s stay order on appointing a new Congress president.

Chennithala, a former protege of ex-chief minister K Karunakaran, will be expected to counter his mentor who recently floated the breakaway National Congress (Indira). Referring to Karunakaran’s attempts to anoint son K Muraleedharan as his successor, a Congress functionary said: “The battle would be between his son and godson (Chennithala).” Karunakaran and Chennithala are both Nairs.

The Congress high command is hoping the new state unit chief will be able to revitalise the party organisation reeling after its recent Assembly by-elections rout and the Karunakaran-induced split.

Chennithala did not agree that the Congress had no chance of winning the Assembly election and that the high command was thus looking for a scapegoat. He said he would instead be trying to ensure the Congress retains power in the state.