A construction firm in Kerala filed a legal suit against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and a few other party members in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday for alleged non-payment of dues and violation of contract. The company said the party did not clear their dues for construction of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies, inaugurated in 2015. CNN-News18 reported that the company filed a Rs 50 lakh suit against Gandhi in court.

The other leaders named in the complaint include former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the institute's Chairman Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President VM Sudheeran.

However, the Congress leader RS Surjewala refuted the allegations saying there was no default on payments or criminality involved.

The company had earlier sent a legal notice to the party. In the complaint, they said Gandhi had asked the state unit to pay up, following the notice, but the firm is yet to receive the money. The project was sanctioned by former KPCC chief Chennithala and Sonia Gandhi had inaugurated the institute.

The English daily quoted party insiders and suggested that the payment was not initiated because of some internal feud in the state unit.