THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy on Monday owned up responsibility for Left fellow traveller Cherian Philip leaving the Congress. Chandy said the Congress failed to give a winning seat to Cherian Philip to contest in the 2001 assembly elections which saw him severing ties with the party and contesting against him in Puthuppally.
He was speaking after giving K Avukader Kutty Naha Memorial Award 2021 instituted by the Kerala Sahrudaya Vedi to Cherian Philip here on Monday which saw the two leaders appearing together on a public platform after two decades.
Ever since Cherian Philip rejected the LDF government’s offer of the post of Kerala Khadi Board vice-chairman, rumours have been rife that he will be returning to Congress soon. He had held unofficial talks with top brass of the party. Chandy was the first to speak at the event which saw him recalling their political encounter in Puthuppally two decades ago.
“When we contested against each other, everyone concluded that our friendship was over. I was not upset with Cherian. I had a feeling that there was a lapse from my side. I could not give him a winning seat which led me to introspect on what had actually happened. When we contest against each other representing two fronts, we should not go against democratic values,” said Chandy.
Later, Cherian Philip praised Chandy citing that the latter had always been his patron. Terming his decision to leave the Congress an “emotional and impulsive” action, Cherian Philip recalled that Chandy had never made a negative comment about him. He also recalled how he had spent his young days in the 1970s at Chandy’s MLA Hostel room after getting injured in political protests.
“Usually, when one commits a mistake, his/her parents or elder brothers would pardon the person. In my case, Chandy pardoned me without any inhibition. In the modern political history book, ‘Adiyozhukkukal’, I am writing about 12 former chief ministers of the state. I can say that Chandy is the most popular among them,” said Cherian Philip.
Senior CPI leader Pannyan Raveendran said it is difficult for a person like Cherian Philip who has an independent stand on issues to stay put within the framework of a front. Cherian Philip returned the cash award of Rs 25,000 to the organisers for their humanitarian work.