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How VD Satheesan edged out Congress leadership pick KC Venugopal in race to be Kerala CM
While KC Venugopal was the preferred choice of the Congress leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, VD Satheesan garnered public support.
Outgoing Leader of the Opposition in Kerala assembly VD Satheesan was named as the new chief minister of Kerala, eleven days after the poll results were declared on May 4.
Deepa Dasmunshi, general secretary in charge of Kerala announced, “The Congress legislature party met at Thiruvananthapuram and unanimously authorised Congress president to select the CLP leader.
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Congress president held extensive discussions with the Congress parliamentary party leader (Sonia Gandhi) and Leader of the Opposition (Rahul Gandhi) and many other leaders including former PCC chiefs. Based on all these discussions it has been decided that VD Satheesan has been appointed as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party.”
According to a senior Congress leader, while KC Venugopal was the preferred choice of the Congress leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, Satheesan garnered public support and had the backing of the party organization and allies including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
On Thursday morning, Venugopal met former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier, it was planned to announce the CM at a Congress legislative party meeting in Kerala but the party leadership decided to announce the name at 24 Akbar Road in the national Capital on Thursday.
