Even eight days after the Kerala Assembly election results were announced, the Congress leadership has yet to announce the state's next chief minister. The High Command will hold marathon meetings in Delhi on Tuesday before finally deciding on the new CM. The meetings will involve senior leaders, including former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) presidents, working presidents, and party veterans.
Former KPCC presidents, M.M. Hassan, V.M. Sudheeran, Mullappally Ramachandran and K. Muraleedharan were called to Delhi for consultations to reach a final decision.
Kerala Congress chief Sunny Joseph, AICC disciplinary committee chairman Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, working presidents A.P. Anil Kumar, P.C. Vishnunadh and Shafi Parambil, along with veteran leader and Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran, have also been called for discussions. Kharge will also be consulting with Congress veteran A.K. Antony before a final decision is made.
Amid a continuing impasse, Rahul Gandhi held discussions with INC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi on Monday. Priyanka reportedly told him that her office has been flooded with messages and calls regarding the choice of the new CM.
The contest now is largely seen between AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who was also in the fray, had said that he would abide by the high command's decision.
The UDF has secured a massive victory against the LDF in the Assembly elections, winning 102 seats in the 140-member Kerala Assembly.
Senior Congress leaders told Onmanorama that the decision to call former KPCC chiefs for consultations is being viewed within the party as a sign that the leadership is leaning towards Venugopal.
The expanded consultations come after both Satheesan and Chennithala camps conveyed that the CM's choice should not be decided solely based on MLA support.
Though Venugopal has the majority of the MLAs' support, Satheesan has the popular vote and strong backing from the IUML, a Congress ally, which has won 22 seats. The Muslim League is also likely to play an important role in the final decision.
IUML Malappuram district general secretary P. Abdul Hameed said that the delay has already caused dissatisfaction among the public and the party workers and warned of political repercussions if it gets delayed further.
