KOTTAYAM: Former chief minister Oommen Chandy and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala met the chief of the Orthodox Church. The two called on the chief at the Devalokam Aramana. The talks which started at 11 am this morning lasted for about an hour. The two arrived secretly without informing the media. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan MLA also accompanied them.

It is believed that the two came to seek support for the elections. However, this has not been confirmed yet. Their response was that it was a friendly visit. The Congress had so far not intervened or respond publicly in the church dispute. The party had to pay a heavy price for this in the last local body elections. The congress faced a poll debacle in Chandy's own hometown Puthupally. The party does not want such a situation to arise in the coming assembly election, especially after Chandy made the head of the high powered panel.

The BJP had earlier tried to rout the party amongst the Christians by intervening in the church dispute. Efforts taken by Mizoram Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai to resolve the dispute were assessed aiming this. Realizing this situation, the two called on the chief today