Even days afterKeralahanded a decisive mandate to the Congress-led UDF, the party is yet to finalise its chief ministerial face, with the top leadership holding intense deliberations in Delhi. At the centre of the power tussle is Congress general secretary (organisation)K C Venugopal, the Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, who has emerged as a strong contender despite not contesting the assembly elections.
Also in the race are senior Kerala Congress leaders V D Satheesan, the outgoing Leader of Opposition, and former LoP Ramesh Chennithala, who is considered close to former party president Sonia Gandhi.
Top Congress leaders met at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in the national capital, where they discussed the report submitted by central observers. Sources said the observers indicated that a majority of newly elected MLAs are backing Venugopal for the top post.
Around 43 MLAs and all party MPs from the state have supported Venugopal as chief minister, given his stature in the Congress, sources told PTI. With Venugopal clearly ahead of others in the race, the decision rests with Rahul Gandhi on whether he will allow his confidant to go to Kerala, where he was previously a party MP and where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is now the MP from the Wayanad constituency.
The Congress's dilemma is also about choosing between a central leader, Venugopal, and Kerala leaders with ground support -- V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala -- both of whom have strong pockets of influence in the state.
Whereas Venugopal is considered close to Rahul Gandhi, Satheesan has emerged as a strong contender after Congress ally IUML openly backed him for the top post.
Amidst this emerged the poster wars and the street protests by workers with the leadership asking the three leaders to put an immediate end to them.
Supporters of Chennithala, on the other hand, argue that when the Congress was elected the last time, Chennithala had backed out in favour of Oomen Chandy and had honoured the latter's seniority. Chennithala's supporters are now expecting the same courtesies from Satheesan, who is eight years younger than the former LOP. While Chennithala is 69 years old, Satheesan is 61, and Venugopal is 63.
Kerala Congress leaders, meanwhile, said Satheesan played a very active role as the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing Kerala assembly and laid the groundwork for the ouster of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
In the run-up to the assembly elections, Kannur MP K Sudhakaran (77) was keen to contest the assembly elections but was later placated by the party leadership and former defence minister A K Antony not to contest.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
