Kerala Congress Chief Warns Party Rebels Amid Chevayur Bank Election Row

Sudhakaran’s remarks come amid the escalating internal rift with 50 Congress leaders resigning in Kozhikode after the suspension of former Chevayur bank president G. C. Prasanth.

Tensions are running high within the Congress party in Kozhikode as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran delivered a stern warning to rebels contesting against party-backed candidates in the Chevayur Service Co-operative Bank election. Addressing a party convention on Saturday, Sudhakaran threatened severe consequences for those defying party lines.

“If the Congress fails, they will not be allowed to live in the area. So remember whether you want your life,” the Kannur MP cautioned the dissenters. Sudhakaran accused the rebels of prioritising personal gains over party interests, alleging that some were offering jobs in cooperative banks to workers from rival parties like the CPI(M) and BJP instead of supporting loyal Congress workers.

Sudhakaran’s remarks come amid the escalating internal rift with 50 Congress leaders resigning in Kozhikode after the suspension of former Chevayur bank president G. C. Prasanth. The resignations were a protest against the District Congress Committee (DCC) leadership, which was accused of sidelining local leaders in favor of vested interests.

Sudhakaran’s statement also hinted at past controversies involving cooperative banks, vowing to prevent Chevayur bank from becoming another Karuvannur bank—a reference to a previous scam that involved misappropriation of crores of rupees. He accused a faction of attempting to undermine the bank’s administration with the assistance of CPI(M) and declared that the Congress must regain control to protect the bank's integrity.

"We will not allow the Chevayur co-operative bank to become another Karuvannur bank," Sudhakaran asserted. He warned the rebels, hinting that betrayals would lead to repercussions once the Congress resumes power in the cooperative bank's administration.

In the face of the growing turmoil, the Kozhikode DCC has thrown its weight behind the KPCC president, underscoring the need to retain the bank’s administration at all costs. 

The issue also comes at a time of the bypolls for Chelakkara and Palakkad Assembly seats.