Veteran Congress leader PJ Kurien should approach the party High Command over why he was not re-nominated to the Rajya Sabha, former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Sunday.
Addressing reporters at his hometown, Chandy said the general norm for a Congress worker or leader if he has any grouse was to approach the High Command.
"I heard him saying he will give a complaint against me to the High Command. That's the best way. Once he gives the complaint, he will get the right answer to it," Chandy said.
"Kurien also mentioned that I am the main person behind his not getting a re-nomination. I think Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and state party president MM Hassan have given a reply to it (they said it was a collective decision).
"I also heard him say that it was I who asked the young party legislators to demand that he should not seek re-election. Some of these legislators have already responded to that," he added.
For the past three days, Kurien has been breathing fire at Chandy, calling him the sole person responsible for the gifting of a Rajya Sabha seat which the Congress would have won to estranged former ally, Kerala Congress (Mani).
Since then, party leaders like KV Thomas, K. Muraleedharan and AK Sudhakaran have urged that in the larger interests of the party, better sense should prevail and everyone in the Congress should remain united.
Senior party leader Pandalam Sudhakaran on Sunday urged former Chief Minister and former Defence Minister AK Antony to break his silence on the issue.
Earlier, a section of Congress leaders, including seniors, complained to party chief Rahul Gandhi against the state-in-charge Mukul Wasnik, accusing him of failing to prevent the "gifting" of a Rajya Sabha seat to Kerala Congress (Mani).
The infuriated senior leaders, including Members of Parliament alleged that he did not rise to the occasion and "failed" to alert Gandhi of the "actual facts" prior to his consent to KM Mani's return to the UDF fold, party sources said.