All 63 newly elected Kerala Congress legislators will gather on Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram for the party’s legislative meeting as part of the selection process for the chief ministerial candidate, leaders familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, even as pressure is intensifying by the camps of senior leaders V D Sathisan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala in the race for the top job.
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 elected legislators, write down their preferences, prepare a report and send it to the AICC leadership within two days.
“The AICC leadership, especially 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 choose the candidate based on the number of MLAs or choose a leader from among the main contenders according to their wisdom,” a senior leader from Alappuzha district told HT, adding that a decision is expected within a week.
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This development comes two days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front swept the Kerala Assembly elections on April 9, returning to power after a decade of Left rule. The United Democratic Front won 102 seats in the 140-member council.
In the wake of the poll results, feverish lobbying began by the camps of Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, Chennithala, a former minister and former MLA, and AICC General Secretary (Organization) Venugopal, Lok Sabha MP. The three leaders are competing closely for the position of prime minister. While Sathisan and Chennithala were elected from their strongholds of Paravur and Haripad, respectively, Venugopal did not contest the election.
On Wednesday, Chennithala and Venugopal met Congress parliamentary party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, while Sathisan held a roadshow in his constituency to celebrate the election victory.
When asked about the meetings, Chennithala told reporters: “Today is the day to finalize district chiefs in Maharashtra, the state where I am in charge. I have a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. It has nothing to do (with the Prime Minister’s discussions).”
He denied that there was any conflict between the leaders for the top position. “There is no fighting. It is a process. Observers come to Kerala, hold meetings with paralegals and prepare a report to the ICC’s international advisory committee which takes the final decision. Local officials will take the decision collectively.”
He also said that discussions and debates on social media do not determine the choice of chief minister’s post, referring to the widespread support for Satheesan among Congress social media.
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Party insiders pointed out that Venugopal could enjoy the support of a large number of party members, given his role in selecting candidates for the Assembly elections.
“But Chennithala, a senior leader, is not easy and has wider acceptance in the party. On the other hand, Sathisean is credited for his role as a CPM and helping the state unit recover from the loss in 2021 when the Left parties retained power for the second consecutive term,” said a senior legislator, who declined to reveal his name.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the main ally of the United Democratic Front, stressed the need for a broader consensus. “We expect Congress to discuss the name with allies before making an announcement. This has been the practice. We will convey our views in due course,” IUML leader Muhammad Bashir said.
