Thiruvananthapuram: Following Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has also distanced himself from Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil. Chennithala has informed AICC leadership and KPCC president Sunny Joseph that Rahul should immediately resign from his MLA post.

Sources say Chennithala has discussed the matter with Satheesan and others, firmly stating that Rahul should not remain in office even for a moment and must be made to resign at the earliest.

Chennithala warned the leadership that if Rahul does not resign, it could adversely affect the party in the upcoming elections. He stressed that hiding behind technicalities such as the absence of a formal complaint would damage the party’s credibility.

Chennithala has reportedly communicated these concerns directly to Sunny Joseph, adding that more complaints may emerge against Rahul in the coming days.

Chennithala has taken a strong stance from the beginning of the controversy, previously urging the party leadership not to delay action. He had already conveyed that Rahul should either resign voluntarily or be expelled.

With this, two of the Congress party’s top leaders—Satheesan and Chennithala—have openly taken a stand against Rahul. At present, apart from Shafi Parambil, almost the entire party appears to have distanced itself from him.