All 63 newly elected legislators of the Congress in Kerala will meet on Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram for the legislature party meeting as part of the process to select the nominee for the chief minister’s post, leaders familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, even as lobbying by the camps of senior leaders VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala intensified in the race for the top post.
The meeting, scheduled for 10.30 am, will see senior leaders Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken, observers deputed by the AICC leadership, holding consultations with the MLA-elects to understand their preferences for the top post. The observers are likely to hold one-on-one meetings with the legislators-elect, jot down their preferences, prepare a report on the same and send it to the AICC leadership within a couple of days.
“The AICC leadership, particularly party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, will study the report and hold wider consultations with party MPs and other senior leaders before arriving at a decision. The leadership can either pick the nominee based on the headcount of the MLAs or choose a leader among the key contenders as per their wisdom,” a senior leader from Alappuzha district told HT, adding that the decision is expected within a week.
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{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Three in the fray, one to lead Kerala: Who will be the next chief minister?
{{/usCountry}}The development comes two days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) swept the April 9 Kerala assembly elections, returning to power after a decade of Left rule. The UDF won 102 seats in the 140-member assembly.
Following the poll results, hectic lobbying started by the camps of Satheesan, the leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, Chennithala, a former minister and ex-LoP, and AICC general secretary (organisation) Venugopal, a Lok Sabha MP. The three leaders are in a close contest for the CM’s post. While Satheesan and Chennithala were elected from their strongholds of Paravoor and Haripad, respectively, Venugopal did not contest the election.
On Wednesday, Chennithala and Venugopal met Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, while Satheesan held a roadshow in his assembly constituency to celebrate the poll victory.
When asked about the meetings, Chennithala told reporters: “Today is the day to finalise the district presidents in Maharashtra, a state where I am in-charge. I have a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. It has nothing to do (with the CM discussions).”
He denied that there was any tussle among leaders for the top post. “There is no fight. It’s a process. The observers come to Kerala, hold meetings with MLAs, prepare a report to the AICC which takes the final decision. The MLAs will collectively take a decision.”
He also said that social media discussions and debates do not determine the choice for the CM’s post, alluding to the wide support for Satheesan among Congress social media handles.
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Party insiders indicated that Venugopal could enjoy the backing of a significant number of MLAs, given his role in candidate selection for the assembly polls.
“But Chennithala, a senior leader, is no pushover and has a wider acceptability in the party. On the other side, Satheesan is credited for his role as the LoP and helping the state unit revive for the loss in 2021 when the Left parties retained power for the second consecutive term,” said a senior lawmaker, declining to be named.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF ally, emphasised the need for a broader consensus. “We expect the Congress to discuss the name with allies before making an announcement. This has been the practice. We will convey our views at the appropriate time,” IUML leader ET Mohammed Basheer said.