Kerala CM race spills onto streets as VD Satheesan and KC Venugopal camps stage protests, flex-board war intensifies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The tussle in the Congress over the next chief minister moved beyond closed-door negotiations on Thursday, with rival camps staging public demonstrations and intensifying flex-board wars, even as AICC observers Mukul Wasnik and Ajay Maken held marathon consultations with senior Congress leaders, MPs, newly elected MLAs and UDF constituents.The race, which has triggered intense factional manoeuvring despite the UDF's decisive electoral victory, has now entered its final phase, with the legislature party meeting passing a resolution authorising party president Mallikarjun Kharge to take a decision. The observers will prepare a report for the party leadership.The contest has deepened divisions between the rival camps. Sources said the camps led by V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala strongly opposed efforts to project AICC general secretary K C Venugopal as the next CM. The Venugopal camp, however, has claimed majority backing within the legislature party.During his meeting with the observers, Satheesan is learnt to have argued that leadership cannot be decided solely on numerical strength within the CLP. Similar concerns were reportedly echoed by several UDF allies, who maintained that wider political considerations and public sentiment should also be factored into the final decision. Sources indicated that IUML, RSP, Kerala Congress, CMP and Kerala Congress (Jacob) had supported Satheesan's leadership.Sources said the Congress leadership remains concerned about the possible political fallout if Venugopal is chosen. Satheesan is believed to have indicated to his close associates that he would stay away from both the cabinet and organisational responsibilities if denied the CM's post. The final decision is expected by Sunday after consultations between Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.The factional divide spilled onto the streets, with Satheesan supporters staging demonstrations in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur. The protests evoked memories of the 2006 crisis in CPM, when supporters of V S Achuthanandan launched public protests after he was sidelined by the party ahead of assembly elections.The flex-board war also intensified, with banners supporting Satheesan appearing outside Kerala House in Delhi carrying the slogan, "Let the one who led the battle lead the state," while supporters of Venugopal installed "We Want KC" boards outside KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.Senior leaders who met the observers are understood to have urged the high command to arrive at a consensus decision that preserves party unity and carries all major contenders along. MP and former KPCC president K Sudhakaran submitted a letter to observers backing Venugopal's candidature for the chief minister's post.Wasnik told reporters after the meeting that there was an atmosphere of jubilation as the Congress victory in the assembly election was "remarkable" and "historic". "It is a matter of great joy, and in this atmosphere the meeting took place," he said. Asked whether it was a tough or easy decision for the AICC observers to make on the next CM, he did not give a clear answer. "The meeting went on very well...," he said.Maken said the party leadership wanted one-on-one discussions with all MLAs. "We held discussions with all MLAs. In the evening, we are leaving for Delhi. We will submit our report. We are hopeful that a decision will be taken soon. Everyone has left it to the leadership to decide," he said.