First-time Congress legislator Chandy Oommen, the son of late two-time Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has voiced his unhappiness with how the party leadership has treated him, particularly in light of the recent Palakkad Assembly bypoll.
In a candid statement, Chandy Oommen expressed his frustration, saying, "During Palakkad elections while others were given responsibilities for the campaign, I was not assigned any work in the party." He added, "I refrained from commenting earlier, and I do not wish to elaborate even now. I was in Palakkad for only one day. The leadership must take everyone together. It is their duty."
Chandy Oommen also clarified that it is not solely the responsibility of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran, emphasizing that leadership changes are not the answer. "Replacing him is not an answer for this. There is a practice of some being neglected while others are included. All stakeholders should be together, but factually, this is not happening," he said.
Addressing the ongoing discussions surrounding leadership changes, Oommen dismissed calls for Sudhakaran's resignation, stating, "There is no need for such talks. What we need is the inclusion of more young members during the reorganisation of the party. The leadership must prioritise unity."
The Congress party in Kerala is currently embroiled in talks of a generational shift, with increasing calls for the 76-year-old Sudhakaran to step down. However, Sudhakaran has dismissed these speculations, stating, "It’s only the TV channels discussing this; there is no such move."
Reacting to Chandy Oommen’s statements VK Sreekandan, Palakkad MP told the media that nobody has been neglected from the responsibilities.
Rahul Mamkoottathil Palakkad MLA said that Chandy Oommen’s complaint was to the leadership and they will sort it out. He also said Chandy Oommen is a brother to him.
Chandy Oommen contested and won from his late father’s traditional Assembly constituency, which Oommen Chandy represented uninterrupted from 1970 to 2023, setting a record as the longest-serving legislator in the state.
After Oommen Chandy passed away, the Congress leadership unanimously decided to field Chandy Oommen as his successor. The 37-year-old secured a landslide victory with a margin of over 37,000 votes last year.