Kerala CM Race Heats Up: The task of choosing the next Chief Minister of Kerala has turned into a tricky balancing act for the Congress high command, with senior leaders K C Venugopal and V D Satheesan
emerging as the frontrunners after the UDF’s emphatic return to power.
As per party sources, 43 out of 63 newly elected Congress MLAs are backing AICC general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal for the top post during consultations held by AICC observers Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
A handful of the MLAs did not indicate their preference and are learnt to have conveyed to the observers that they will abide by the high command’s choice.
Meanwhile, the Congress’ key ally in the UDF, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest party in the alliance with 22 MLAs, is reportedly backing Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan for the chief minister’s post. IUML leaders also conveyed to the observers that a sitting MLA should be made Chief Minister in order to avoid the need for a bypoll.
Satheesan was seen as the main face of the Congress and UDF campaign. As Leader of the Opposition, he led the attack against the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the past five years. Many in the party feel that, in the minds of the public, he is the natural choice for the Chief Minister’s post.
Sources further said that Satheesan has made it clear that he would not be interested in taking up any post other than that of the Chief Minister. His stand is seen as a bargaining tactic.
Apart from Venugopal and Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala remains in contention, making the leadership issue a three-cornered contest marked by intense lobbying within the party.
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP), which met at the KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, passed the customary one-line resolution authorising Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to take the final decision on the CLP leader, who will become the next Chief Minister.
Following the meeting, observers Maken and Wasnik held one-on-one consultations with newly elected MLAs and later met leaders of UDF allies, including the IUML, Kerala Congress factions and the RSP, to assess their views on the leadership question.
Sources said both the Satheesan and Chennithala camps urged the observers not to rely solely on MLA numbers while deciding the next Chief Minister. They argued that the opinion of party workers and public sentiment should also be taken into account.
“The observers patiently heard us and said they would convey our stand to the high command,” IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty told reporters after meeting the AICC team.
Wasnik described the Congress-led UDF victory as “remarkable” and “historic”, while Maken said the leadership wanted detailed consultations with all MLAs before a decision was made.
The two observers are expected to submit their report to Kharge in Delhi, though the timing of the meeting has not yet been finalised as both leaders were yet to arrive in the national capital on Thursday night.
The leadership tussle has also spilled onto the streets and social media. Supporters of Venugopal put up large hoardings outside the KPCC headquarters and in various parts of the state, while Satheesan’s backers staged demonstrations demanding that he be chosen as the next Chief Minister.
The UDF secured a sweeping mandate in the April 9 Assembly elections, winning 102 of the 140 seats in the Assembly, with the Congress alone bagging 63 seats.
(With inputs from agencies)
