Kerala: Cong drops plan to make Chennithala Dy CM

Congress ally Muslim League has stuck to its stand against the reshuffle.

The Congress on Friday dropped the plans to make its Kerala unit chief Ramesh Chennithala deputy CM in the Oommen Chandy cabinet after ally Muslim League stuck to its stand against the reshuffle. Chennithala is learnt to have conveyed to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that the party should not go out of the way to facilitate his entry into the cabinet.

After much dithering,CM Oommen Chandy had agreed to make Chennithala his deputy on Thursday. The plan came a cropper after the Muslim League and the Kerala Congress (M) indicated that their demands,including that of one more Lok Sabha seat each in the forthcoming general election,should be met.

While the CM wanted the high command to intervene and bring the allies on board,the Congress leadership was reluctant.

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On Friday,Sonia Gandhi acceded to Chennithalas plea to allow him to continue as the state Congress chief. Chennithalas entry into the cabinet as a minister was ruled out earlier with the Chandy-led faction refusing to part with the home portfolio. According to sources close to Chennithala,the Kerala unit chief was willing to join the Chandy cabinet either as the Home Minister or as Deputy CM.

Chandy has been keen to effect a reshuffle and induct Chennithala into his cabinet in a bid to spruce up the image dented by the solar panel scandal. Chandy also met Sonia on Friday and apprised her of the developments.

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