Advertisement on Ramesh Chennithala: KPCC issues show-cause notice to DCC General Secretar

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Thiruvananthapuram DCC General Secretary A Prijin Babu for publishing a full-page newspaper advertisement highlighting Ramesh Chennithala’s political journey.

The notice, citing gross indiscipline, was issued after the full -page ad appeared, violating party orders against promoting specific leaders for leadership roles. The full-page focus feature appeared in the English daily amid the Congress’ dispute over the Chief Minister’s post. The KPCC viewed the advertisement as a “serious breach of party discipline”. However, Prajin Babu claims that he has done such features on people before too.

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KPCC General Secretary (Organisation) Neyyattinkara Sanal served the notice to A. Prijin Babu on Tuesday, directing a response within three days. The full-page advertisement featured in an English daily as a “focus feature,” detailing Chennithala’s political journey, including his stint as a young minister. It highlighted Ramesh Chennithala’s long political journey, characterized by his grassroots origins in the Kerala Students Union (KSU) rather than an “overnight” rise. It also highlighted Chennithala’s career and performance, often described as a mosaic of diverse responsibilities, including his role as KPCC president, MLA , minister : and Opposition leader

Chennithala’s office immediately distanced itself from the ad, stating it was not commissioned by him or his office.

Coming a day after the KPCC issued a gag order against promoting specific leaders for the Chief Minister’s post, the move was seen by many as a direct challenge to the party’s official discipline.

The KPCC on Saturday imposed a strict ban on public statements by Congress leaders and workers regarding their choice to lead the government, if the UDF gets a majority in the assembly polls. It directed party leaders and workers to refrain from making public statements or social media posts endorsing specific individuals for the CM post. The restriction applies to remarks made via print, visual, and social media platforms, as these discussions have caused embarrassment to the party and discontent among UDF supporters.

The advertisement was interpreted by rival factions as an attempt to influence the central leadership ahead of the election results, contradicting directions from both AICC and KPCC not to make public statements regarding the Chief Minister