In the reorganisation of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), senior Kerala Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has been named as a permanent invitee, while former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor has been made a permanent member. The CWC is the “highest executive authority” of the party, comprising 39 members, 32 permanent invitees, nine special invitees and four ex-officio members. The committee has been reorganised months from the Lok Sabha elections.
Shashi Tharoor, who was part of the 'G23' group that sought wide-ranging reforms in the party and contested for the party chief's post against Mallikarjun Kharge, finding a place in the party's highest decision-making body has stirred up dissatisfaction amongst the party members in Kerala. Others from the state included are veteran leader, AK Antony, who has declared himself retired from active politics, and Congress General Secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal.
Chennithala had a speedy rise, becoming minister in the Kerala government under K Karunakaran at the age of 27 and later serving as national President of the Congress' student wing, the National Students Union of India (NSU) and then of the Youth Congress.
Talking to IANS, sources close to Chennithala said, "Chennithala has been sidelined in Congress. He was a permanent invitee of the Congress party 19 years before and again including him in the same list does not look nice. People like Shashi Tharoor, Mukul Wasnik, and Anand Sharma, who raised banner of revolt in the name of G23, find a place in the reconstituted Congress Working Committee, while Chennithala who has always toed the party line is out of the highest decision-making body of the Congress. This is an insult to a genuine and natural leader of the Congress."
Chennithala, responding to the issue, said that he would not give any public response in the matter. “Permanent invitee post is not new to me. I served in the post 19 years ago. The party announced the members of CWC without holding any talks with the members. I will declare my stance before the party leadership. At present, I'm not interested in any public response over the matter,” he said.
Apart from Chennithala, several other leaders have also been listed as permanent invitees. They include former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari and former mayor of Mumbai Chandrakant Handore.
The Congress President Shri @kharge has constituted the Congress Working Committee.
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 20, 2023
Here is the list: pic.twitter.com/dwPdbtxvY5
(With IANS inputs)