Kozhikode (Kerala) | The Congress party, which expelled members who opposed its candidates for the November 13 bypolls in Chelakkara and Palakkad Assembly seats, has taken a different approach in a local cooperative bank election here with KPCC president K Sudhakaran on Saturday threatening a faction of rebels contesting against the party candidates.

"If the Congress fails, they will not be allowed to live in the area. So remember whether you want your life. Instead of giving jobs to party workers, they gave jobs to LDF and BJP workers," the Kannur MP said, adding that some Congress workers are making cooperative banks a means of livelihood.

The Congress state unit chief made the controversial remarks while delivering his inaugural address at a party convention organised as part of the Chevayur Service Co-operative Bank election in Kozhikode on Saturday.

"We will not allow the Chevayur co-operative bank to become another Karuvannur bank which was caught in a scam of crores of rupees. A faction is trying to undermine the bank's administration with the assistance of CPI(M). Their plans will fail. The Congress will come to power again, and those who have betrayed us will face consequences," Sudhakaran further said.

The Congress-ruled Chevayur co-operative bank's election has become a matter of concern for the party following the suspension of former bank president G C Prasanth.

Subsequently, in protest against the action, about 50 party leaders in Kozhikode resigned from the Congress.

They alleged that the District Congress Committee (DCC) president was acting against the interest of local party workers and appointing party office bearers considering vested interests.

Meanwhile, the Kozhikode DCC has extended support to the KPCC president as the party has to retain the bank's administration at any cost.