Former Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has been elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), and will be the Opposition Leader in the Kerala Assembly. The decision was taken at a meeting of the CLP held in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

In the CLP meeting, AICC leaders Sheila Dixit, Mukul Wasnik and Deepak Babria ascertained the choices of the Congress MLAs by meeting each of them individually.

Chennithala’s name was proposed by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Earlier on Sunday, senior party leader K Muraleedharan reportedly wrote to the KPCC and the AICC protesting against the selection of Chennithala, creating turmoil in the party.  

There were also reports that the AICC was also interested in a different face.

After AICC observers individually met the MLAs, Chennithala was chosen. Dixit told the media that the decision to choose Chennithala was unanimous and that AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, has also approved of the choice.