THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Election won. Succession unsettled. Congress brass moved into overdrive Tuesday to pick Kerala's next CM, with intense lobbying breaking out across factions after the party-led UDF's emphatic victory, reports Rajiv G. The decision rests with LS opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, but consultations could stretch up to a week, according to sources.
Three names anchor the contest. Leader of opposition VD Satheesan, who steered UDF through five years in the wilderness to a landslide, is seen as frontrunner. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, a Rahul aide, is mobilising support. Ramesh Chennithala is the third choice.
Ramesh Chennithala, aformer opposition faceand multiple-term legislator, is pressing his case onexperience and seniority.Satheesan has the supportof Indian Union MuslimLeague (22 seats), strengthening his pitch as the consensusface.
Chennithala has said seniority must weigh heavily inthe choice. Venugopal’s campclaimed a sizeable bloc ofMLAs and MPs is in its corner.Congress, with 63 seats inthe 140-member assembly, isthe largest party in UDF thatunseated CPM-led LDF’s twoterm govt. UDF won 102 seats,while LDF managed 35. Thechallenge now is politicalarithmetic within Congress— balancing claims, preventing fissures and ensuring asmooth swearing-in.
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Congress brass has kept options open, focusing on consensus. A meeting chaired byparty president MallikarjunKharge, with Rahul present, isset to appoint AICC observers.Pressure is building for aquick call.
Party insiderswarned that picking a compromise name outside themain contenders could trigger a backlash, with bothSatheesan and Chennithalacamps unlikely to accept a diminished role in cabinet formation under such a scenario.
AICC general secretaryJairam Ramesh said a decision would come soon amid efforts to forge unanimity.The triangular contest hasdeepened fault lines. Venugopal’s backers cited organisational heft and central backing.
Satheesan’s camp mentioned public acceptabilityand his role in the victory.Chennithala has remindedCongress that Satheesan’s elevation as opposition leader in2021 went against prevailingsentiment, underlining thecentral role in leadershipcalls. Congress said allies’views will be heard but it isunder no compulsion to yieldground, given its numbers.
Rajiv G is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Times of India, bri...
Read MoreRajiv G is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Times of India, bringing over two decades of journalistic experience and editorial expertise to the newsroom. He began his journey in 1998 with The Indian Express in Coimbatore before moving on to Deccan Chronicle in Hyderabad and later The New Indian Express in Hyderabad and Bangalore, and later in Kerala where he spent a decade covering some of the most defining stories. Since joining The Times of India in 2011, Rajiv has been at the forefront of reporting on Kerala’s health and political landscape. His sustained coverage of the health sector since 2005 has contributed to public awareness and policy discourse, while his political reporting since 2008 has provided readers with sharp, well-informed perspectives. His work has been widely recognized, earning him honors from the Indian Medical Association, the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association, and the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association. He was also conferred the *Best Reporter Award* by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club, where he has held leadership roles as Secretary and President.
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