After days of intense squabble over the chief minister's post, there seems to be some semblance of unity in the Congress in Kerala, with the leadership finally rallying behind chief minister-designate V.D. Satheesan.
Satheesan met AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, who were the contenders for the chief minister's post, and appeared to have sorted out the differences.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph, when asked about the dissent by Chennithala over being denied the CM post, said the issue has been resolved.
"Things are moving smoothly. We are holding discussions within the party and with allies. The announcement (regarding cabinet berths) will be made at the right time. Everybody will be comfortable in the Congress party," he added.
Although there has been no official confirmation, Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala held a meeting at the latter's residence on Saturday, where they reportedly reached a consensus. This was the second meeting Satheesan had with Chennithala in 24 hours.
Chennithala had earlier put forward a condition that he would only join the cabinet if he was given the home minister post. It is understood that both leaders discussed this, reported Malayala Manorama.
Chennithala had also demanded that Anwar Sadath and I.C. Balakrishnan be included in the cabinet with important portfolios.
Satheesan visited Venugopal after his meeting with Chennithala. The meeting between the two leaders—first since the Congress announced Satheesan as the CM-designate—lasted for 20 minutes.
After the meeting, Venugopal stated that questions regarding the chief minister's post are no longer relevant. He said, "The party is everything. My goal is to stand firm and fight for the decisions made by the party. The people of Kerala are looking at the Congress government with great hope. Satheesan's government has the responsibility to solve the problems of the common man. My duty is to provide full support to the government for that."
Satheesan, meanwhile, said discussions on portfolio sharing had completed in the initial phase and details would be announced on Sunday.